• By Shafat Malik
• Comments 0
• 30 Mar 2026

J&K dairy grows 15%, but 7.4% samples fail safety tests

42,000+ tested in 5 years, 3,124 fail

Srinagar, Mar 29: Jammu and Kashmir’s dairy economy is expanding at a measured pace, but concerns over milk quality continue to run alongside the growth story. As per the official data accessed by Rising Kashmir, milk production in the Union Territory has risen from 25.94 lakh tonnes in 2020-21 to 29.74 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, a cumulative increase of nearly 15 per cent over four years. The rise has been consistent across each year: output climbed to 27.27 lakh tonnes in 2021-22, 28.17 lakh tonnes in 2022-23, and 28.75 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 before reaching its current level. Year-on-year growth has remained moderate but steady, 5.1 per cent in 2021-22, 3.3 per cent in 2022-23, 2.1 per cent in 2023-24, and 3.4 per cent in 2024-25, pointing to a stable expansion curve that could take overall production beyond the 30 lakh tonne mark in the near term. The numbers reflect the UT’s deep-rooted pastoral economy and sustained push in animal husbandry. However, the data does not disaggregate production between organised and unorganised segments, a significant gap given that dairy activity in Jammu and Kashmir continues to be largely dispersed and small-scale, shaped by its terrain and settlement patterns. What stands out more sharply is consumption. Jammu and Kashmir ranks among the highest per capita milk consumers in the country, with intake levels nearly double the national average. Rural consumption stood at 9.41 litres

per person per month in 2022-23 and rose marginally to 9.52 litres in 2023-24. Urban consumption was higher still, increasing from 9.48 litres to 10.11 litres over the same period. In comparison, the all-India averages were 4.93 litres (rural) and 5.69 litres (urban) in 2022-23, and 5.09 litres (rural) and 5.69 litres (urban) in 2023-24. Yet, the enforcement data presents a parallel narrative. Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, a total of 42,271 milk samples were analysed across Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, 3,124 samples were found non-conforming, translating into a failure rate of roughly 7.4 per cent, or about one in every 13 samples tested. A majority of these fell in the “sub-standard” category, indicating deviations from prescribed norms, while a smaller but consistent proportion was classified as “unsafe”, posing potential health risks. In 2021-22, as many as 1,764 samples failed quality checks, including 240 deemed unsafe. While the number of violations declined in subsequent years to 1,195 in 2022-23, 750 in 2023-24, 651 in 2024-25, and 528 in 2025-26 (provisional), unsafe samples continued to be detected each year, with 47 such cases reported in the current financial year so far. Regulatory action has been extensive and sustained. Over the five-year period, authorities recorded 7,387 civil convictions, with penalties exceeding ₹2.91 crore in four years for which data is available. 82 criminal convictions involving both fines and imprisonment were also secured, with penalties amounting to ₹19.49 lakh. Year-wise figures

show civil convictions at 1,931 in 2021-22, 1,592 in 2022-23, 1,612 in 2023-24, 1,239 in 2024-25, and 1,013 in 2025-26 (provisional). Criminal convictions, though relatively limited in number, have shown an upward trend in recent years, peaking at 29 in 2024-25 before easing to 12 in the current year. The data also details the technical surveillance framework in place for milk safety. Testing protocols cover a wide range of adulterants, including urea, starch, added sugars, formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide and foreign fats, with standardised methods extending across dairy products such as paneer, khoa, butter, ice cream and infant formulations. At the national level, India’s milk production has continued its upward trajectory, rising from 209.96 million tonnes in 2020-21 to an estimated 247.87 million tonnes in 2024-25, reinforcing its position as the world’s largest producer. Within this landscape, Jammu and Kashmir remains a mid-tier contributor by volume, but stands out for its disproportionately high consumption. As of February 2026, 1,17,928 food businesses in the milk and milk products category hold valid licences or registrations, supported by a network of 252 accredited laboratories, 24 referral labs and 305 mobile food testing units operating across the country. Consumer-level interventions have also been rolled out, including rapid testing kits and simplified manuals enabling households to detect common adulterants at home, part of a broader push to bridge the gap between rising production and consistent quality.