Top 10 Countries by Milk Production

Milk is a nutrient-rich balanced food that contains the necessary ingredients of nutrition. It is consumed by babies, kids, and adults of all ages to meet the daily requirement of nutrition. It is a liquid produced by mammals to feed newborn babies. Milk is also harvested from cows, buffaloes, camels, goats, and other mammals for consumption. Almost all the countries produce milk for the population and are sold in packaged or loose format. In this article, we will discuss the top 10 countries by milk production in terms of volume.

Top 10 Milk-Producing Countries in The World

Milk is produced for drinking and to prepare different kinds of dairy products such as ghee, butter, cheese, etc. In 2018, 843 million tons of milk will be produced worldwide. The amount increased by 59% when compared to the production of 530 million tons in 1988. Many countries have made remarkable progress in producing milk in terms of factory farming.

Here is a List of the Top Ten Milk-Producing Countries in the World.

1.      India 187 million metric tons

India is the largest producer of cow milk in the world with a whopping figure of 187 billion kg of cow milk. If we consider all kinds of milk-producing animals reared in husbandry then India is definitely the top milk producer in the world officially. Being the second highest populated country in the world, India consumes almost 22% of the world’s milk.

India is the largest producer of cow milk and the largest consumer of milk in the world due to its population. Operation Flood was initiated to connect more than 700 cities and towns regarding milk production and delivery. This revolution in milk production and packaging led to a reduction of milk prices by eliminating middlemen and providing milk at a very low cost. Operation Flood was initiated on 13th January 1970 and is considered to be the world’s largest development project for dairy accomplished by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

2.      The United States of America (USA)

America holds the second position on the list in terms of cow milk production and holds the second position in terms of all kinds of milk harvesting processes. Its total milk production volume is 91.3 billion kg. The leading states in producing milk in the USA are New York, Idaho, California, and Pennsylvania. The dairy farms differ in size ranging from 30 heads to 15,000 cattle heads. This country is also one of the major exporters of milk and sends its produce to China, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico. Being the largest milk producer in the world, it is also one of the top recruiters and employment providers too.

The USA took a huge step in creating factory farms using different technologies to increase the amount of milk produced every year. In fact, this country has dedicated large fields for the grazing of cows. Families there have been rearing animals for decades making it a prime profession and contributing to this huge figure.

3.      China

China alone produces 35.7 billion kg of milk every year securing the 3rd position on the list of the world top 10 milk-producing countries. China is planning to open a dairy farm in Russia with a capacity of 100,000 cows. As Russia has stopped collaborating with the European Union regarding milk production and ports, it is a brilliant opportunity for China to escalate its production rate to a considerable extent. This new farm will be at least 3 times larger than the largest farms in the USA.

The prime milk-producing regions in this country are Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Tibet, Shanxi, Jilin, Yunnan, Guangxi, Chongqing, Guizhou,  Hubei, Guangdong, Hunan, Hainan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu.

4.      Brazil

Brazil used to import milk from surrounding countries but with years-long efforts, it has reached and occupied the 4th position on this list. Previously, the farmers used to milk cows with their hands but with the advent of technology, the use of milking machines and rearing farms led to the foundation of such a high volume of milk production. Even to this date, the Brazilian farmers milk cows by themselves and some use state-of-the-art machinery.

The top milk-producing places in Brazil are the Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, and Parana. The prime breeds that Brazilians rear are Holstein Friesian and Jersey.

5.      Germany

Germany, the largest milk producer in Europe, holds the 5th position on this list of the top milk-producing countries. It produces more than 31.1 billion kg of cow milk. This country has more than 4.2 million dairy cows. This country is also one of the biggest producers and exporters of dairy products such as cheese, milk, milk chocolates, etc.

6.      Russia

Holding the 6th position on the list of top 10 milk-producing countries, Russia follows the traditional dairy technology to provide milk to its population. It follows the redefined age-old tradition of producing milk and has stabilized its milk production exceptionally. The total amount of milk it produces every year is 30.3 billion kg. As mentioned earlier, this country is working on developing new technology to produce more milk and rear cattle better. It is also building the biggest dairy farm in China with a capacity of 100,000 cows.

7.      France

France alone has 700,000 dairy farms contributing to the production of 23.7 billion kg of milk every year. Despite having so many dairy farms, this country holds the 7th position on this list of top 10 countries by milk production. If you consider Germany then France is the second-largest cow milk producer in the European Union. The total number of cows in this country is 3.6 million. Its excess production is exported to Italy and Germany.

8.      New Zealand

Despite being a very small country, New Zealand holds the 8th position on this list and has 5 million cows. More than 73% of this country’s farms are located on the North Island. This country produces 18.9 billion kg and is also known for its excellent milk products. It also exports milk to the leading countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Egypt, Thailand, Yemen, Bangladesh, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. This country has taken exceptional measures to reduce the greenhouse effect by adopting eco-friendlier options and producing safe milk to consume.

9.      Turkey

Holding the 9th position on the list of top ten milk-producing countries in the world, Turkey is emerging fast as one of the biggest milk producers in the world. This country is focusing on adding technology to the dairy industry for improving lactation standards. the prime cities that produce milk in this country are Balıkesir, Aydın, Izmir,  Konya, Çanakkale, Denizli, Edirne, Tekirdağ, Burdur, Manisa, and Bursa. This country also trades milk with the rest of the countries in Europe.

10.  The United Kingdom

The dairy industry in the United Kingdom is centuries old. It is well-established as the milk trade was a part of the colonization. In fact, this country breeds cows only to produce milk. It is the 3rd largest milk producer in the European Union. In recent years, the reduction in the dairy producers went as high as 61% and the milk production has reduced to a considerable extent.

These are the top 10 countries in terms of milk production across the world. India is currently in the second position on this list but is at least 50% less in capacity when compared to the United States of America. If you tally the amount of milk produced in these countries, you will understand how much importance is given to this liquid balanced food for the benefit of the populations.

Study this list and stay updated with the total milk produced in these countries so that you can answer the questions in the upcoming government selection exams. Focus on the numbers and remember the list of top 10 milk-producing countries to tally and to choose the right options of the MCQs in the GK Section.