Fact Checking Government claims about Milk Production
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 9, 2019
The BJP government has made three claims in an infographic published on the 48-months portal. These claims are related to the Rashtriya Gokul Mission & quantum of milk production. This article is a fact check of these claims.
The BJP government has made three claims in an infographic published on the 48-months portal. These claims are related to the Rashtriya Gokul Mission & quantum of milk production. This article is a fact check of these claims.
What is the new initiative under the ‘National Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development’ program?
The first claim is that ‘new initiative under the National program for Bovine Breeding and Dairy development of 500 crore rupees’.
The annual report (2017-18) of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DAHDF) states that a restructured scheme titled ‘National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development’ (NPBB&DD) was launched in February 2014 with budgetary provision of Rs. 1800 crores for implementation during 12th pay plan, by merging of four ongoing schemes’. Hence this scheme was launched during the UPA itself.
As per the response to a question in the Lok Sabha in July 2015, ‘Rashtriya Gokul Mission is a new initiative under National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development launched with the aim to conserve and develop indigenous bovine breeds in a focused and scientific manner’. Hence the new initiative under the NPBB & DD is the Rashtriya Gokul Mission. Further, as per the budget documents for the year 2018-19, the allocation for Rashtriya Gokul Mission is close to Rs. 500 crores in 2017-18 & 2018-19.
Claim: New initiative under the National program for Bovine Breeding and Dairy development of 500 crore rupees
Fact: The Rashtriya Gokul Mission is the new initiative under National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development with an allocation of Rs. 500 crores in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Hence, the claim is TRUE. However, the National programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy development was launched during the UPA itself.
How many Gokul grams have been established?
The second claim is that ‘20 Gokul Grams are being established and 41 Bull Mother farms are modernized’.
According to a release on the Press Information Bureau, ‘the Rashtriya Gokul Mission is a focussed project under National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development, with an outlay of Rs. 500 crores during the 12th Five Year Plan’.
A response to a question in the Lok Sabha in August 2018 mentions that 20 Gokul Grams and 41 Bull Mother farms are under progress in various states.
Claim: 20 Gokul Grams are being established and 41 Bull Mother farms modernized.
Fact: 20 Gokul Grams have been sanctioned for 13 states under the scheme. As of August 2018, 20 Gokul Grams and 41 bull mother farms are under progress in various states. Hence the claim is TRUE.
Has annual Milk production increased by 12%?
The last claim is that ‘annual milk production enhanced by 12% and that it was 146.3 MT between 2011-14 and it was 163.7MT between 2014-17’.
As per the annual report (2017-18) of the DAHDF and the response to a Lok Sabha question in February 2019,  milk production increased from 146.3 MT in 2014-15 to 165.4 MT in 2016-17 and 176.4 MT in 2017-18. The increase in production during the first four years of the current government works out to around 28%. In the case of UPA, the milk production in 2009-10 was 116.4 MT and it increased to 137.7 MT in 2013-14, an increase of around 27% in the five year period.
It looks like the infographic has typos. The number 146.3 MT refers to the milk production in 2014-15 and 165.4 refers to the production in 2016-17.
Claim: Annual milk production enhanced by 12%. It was 146.3MT between 2011-14 and it was 163.7 MT between 2014-17.
Fact: Looks like the infographic has typos. The number 146.3 MT refers to the milk production in 2014-15 and 165.4 refers to the production in 2016-17.  Hence, the claim is MISLEADING. However, the increase in milk production during the first four years of the current government is 28% while it was 27% during the five years of UPA-2.
This story is part of a larger series on the 4-years of the Modi government. This series has been made possible with the flash grant of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Read the rest of the stories in this series here