Status of Dairy Cooperative Societies and Milk Production in Rajasthan, India

Abstract

India is the world’s largest milk producer, and dairy cooperatives represent an important institutional component of the sector. This study assessed the status of dairy cooperative societies and examined trends and growth in milk production and per capita milk availability in Rajasthan. Secondary data were compiled from official institutional sources. Milk production and per capita milk availability were analysed for 1993–94 to 2023–24, divided into Period I (1993–2012) and Period II (2013–2023). Linear, quadratic, exponential, and cubic functions were fitted, and the best-fitting models were selected using the coefficient of determination and statistical significance. Compound annual growth rates were also estimated. In the cooperative series, registered dairy cooperative societies increased from 14,193 to 20,015, registered membership rose from 7.83 lakh to 9.70 lakh, and average milk procurement increased from 25.68 to 32.85 lakh kilograms per day. For milk production, the quadratic model provided the best fit in Period I and the linear model in Period II; the corresponding CAGRs were 5.95 and 9.23 per cent per annum. For per capita milk availability, the quadratic model provided the best fit in Period I and the exponential model in Period II; the corresponding CAGRs were 3.78 and 7.69 per cent per annum. The results show expansion of the cooperative network and sustained increases in milk production and per capita availability, with higher estimated growth during Period II.