SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s dairy sector is expanding at a steady pace, with milk production climbing from 25.94 lakh tonnes in 2020-21 to 29.74 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, a rise of nearly 15 per cent over four years, according to official data placed before Parliament early this month.
The union territory also ranks among India’s highest per capita milk consumers, with residents drinking roughly twice the national average. But the same data reveals a persistent quality problem: thousands of milk samples are failing safety checks every year, and enforcement authorities have been busy.
The figures come from Lok Sabha on March 10, 2026, in response to a question raised by Shri Anil Yeshwant Desai, which drew a comprehensive state-by-state response from Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The data covers milk production from 2020-21 through 2024-25, consumption patterns for 2022-23 and 2023-24, and food safety enforcement records for five years up to 2025-26.
Jammu and Kashmir’s milk output has increased without interruption across every year covered in the data. From 25.94 lakh tonnes in 2020-21, production rose to 27.27 lakh tonnes in 2021-22, then to 28.17 lakh tonnes in 2022-23, 28.75 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, and 29.74 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. The trajectory suggests the territory will cross the 30 lakh tonne mark within the next one to two years if current trends continue.
J&K Milk Production: Year-on-Year (in lakh tonnes)
| Year | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
| Production (lakh tonnes) | 25.94 | 27.27 | 28.17 | 28.75 | 29.74 |
| Year-on-Year Change | — | +5.1% | +3.3% | +2.1% | +3.4% |
Source: Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India
This growth reflects Jammu and Kashmir’s strong pastoral traditions and government investment in animal husbandry, though the territory’s hilly terrain and dispersed rural population mean that organised, large-scale dairy infrastructure remains limited compared to plains states. The data, however, does not separately break out how much of the production comes from organised versus unorganised sectors within Jammu and Kashmir.
Across the five years covered in the data (2021-22 through 2025-26), J&K food safety authorities analysed a cumulative total of 42,271 milk samples. Of these, 3,124 were found non-conforming, a non-conformance rate of approximately 7.4 per cent, or roughly 1 in every 13 samples tested. The bulk of violations fell under the “sub-standard” category, with unsafe samples, those posing an active health risk, forming a smaller but consistent share each year.
Civil enforcement has been robust. J&K recorded 7,387 civil convictions with penalty across the five years, and has raised over Rs 2.91 crore in civil penalties in the four years where penalty data is available. A further 82 criminal convictions with fine and imprisonment were handed down, with Rs 19.49 lakh in criminal penalties imposed.
J&K Milk Enforcement at a Glance (FSSAI Data)
| Year | Samples Analysed | Non-Conforming | Unsafe Samples | Civil Convictions | Criminal Convictions |
| 2021-22 | 8,109 | 1,764 | 240 | 1,931 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 13,502 | 1,195 | 39 | 1,592 | 15 |
| 2023-24 | 9,057 | 750 | 34 | 1,612 | 22 |
| 2024-25 | 6,955 | 651 | 24 | 1,239 | 29 |
| 2025-26* | 4,648 | 528 | 47 | 1,013 | 12 |
* 2025-26 data provisional. Criminal penalty amounts have not yet been updated on the portal.
On the production side, J&K’s milk output has grown steadily year-on-year — from 25.94 lakh tonnes in 2020-21 to 29.74 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, an increase of nearly 15% over four years. This places J&K comfortably in the mid-tier of Indian states and union territories by volume, well ahead of its Himalayan neighbours.
More striking is J&K’s per capita milk consumption, which stands well above the national average. According to the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey data cited in the parliamentary answer, J&K’s rural residents consumed 9.41 litres per person per month in 2022-23, rising to 9.52 litres in 2023-24. Urban consumption was even higher — 9.48 litres in 2022-23 and 10.11 litres in 2023-24. Both figures comfortably exceed the all-India averages of 4.93 litres (rural) and 5.69 litres (urban) for the same period.
Monthly Per Capita Milk Consumption: J&K vs National Average (litres/person/30 days)
| Region | Rural 2022-23 | Urban 2022-23 | Rural 2023-24 | Urban 2023-24 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 9.41 | 9.48 | 9.52 | 10.11 |
| Ladakh | 10.92 | 12.02 | 11.56 | 12.12 |
| All-India Average | 4.93 | 5.69 | 5.09 | 5.69 |
Source: Household Consumption Expenditure Survey, National Sample Survey Office
Notably, the neighbouring union territory of Ladakh posted even higher consumption figures — 10.92 litres rural and 12.02 litres urban in 2022-23 — reflecting the traditional dairy-dependent food culture of the high-altitude region. Ladakh’s milk production, however, remains tiny at under 30,000 tonnes annually.
India’s total milk production has risen every year, from 209.96 million tonnes in 2020-21 to an estimated 247.87 million tonnes in 2024-25 — making it the world’s largest milk producer. Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan dominate output, together accounting for roughly 30% of national production. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra round out the top five.
But the enforcement data tells a more troubling story. Nationally, FSSAI recorded 44,626 non-conforming milk samples in 2022-23 alone — out of 177,511 analysed — a non-conformance rate of 25%. In 2021-22, Uttar Pradesh topped the list for civil penalties raised, with over ₹29 crore recovered from violators in a single year. Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan have consistently accounted for the highest volumes of both samples tested and violations detected.
Criminal enforcement — involving imprisonment alongside fines — has been most active in Tamil Nadu, which recorded 678 criminal convictions in 2022-23 and 492 in 2023-24, far exceeding any other state. Uttar Pradesh follows, with 251 criminal convictions in 2022-23.
The government’s answer to Parliament also outlined the technical framework for detecting adulteration. FSSAI published a comprehensive Manual of Methods of Analysis for Dairy and Dairy Products in October 2022, covering 110 validated test methods — from detecting urea, starch, and sugar added to raw milk, to checking for formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and foreign fats. Separate protocols exist for cream, paneer, khoa, butter, ice cream, and infant formula.
As of February 28, 2026, a total of 1,17,928 food businesses hold FSSAI licences or registration certificates in the milk and milk products manufacturing category. FSSAI has also notified 252 NABL-accredited food testing laboratories and 24 Referral Food Laboratories for handling appellate cases. Currently, 305 mobile “Food Safety on Wheels” units are deployed across 35 states and union territories, enabling on-the-spot screening at the local level.
For households, FSSAI’s “Food Safety Magic Box” and “DART” (Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test) booklet provide over 50 simple tests that consumers can perform at home — including 27 tests specifically for dairy products.
