SKIMMED MILK POWDER (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy/Sci & Tech)
Context: With many states implementing strict anti-slaughter laws, Indian dairy farmers struggle to dispose of unproductive cattle. Compounding their woes, they now face a surplus of skimmed milk powder (SMP).
Skimmed Milk Powder
- About: It is obtained by removing water from pasteurised skim milk by spray-drying.
oIt is classified according to the heat treatment used in its manufacture (high heat, medium heat, and low heat).
- Storable Components: Only milk solids—fat and solids-not-fat (SNF)—are storable.
- Composition of Milk: On average, cow milk contains 3.5% fat and 8.5% SNF, while buffalo milk contains 6.5% fat and 9% SNF.
- Conversion During Seasons
oFlush Season Production: During the flush season, when milk production is high, dairies convert surplus milk into butter and ghee from cream (fat) and skimmed milk powder (SMP) from SNF.
oLean Season Usage: During the lean season, when milk production is low, SMP is recombined with water to meet liquid milk demand.
oRegional Flush Seasons: July to December in the South and Maharashtra (cow-dominant), and September to March in the North and Gujarat (buffalo-dominant).
- Surplus SMP Problem
oExcess Milk Procurement: Dairies face issues when they procure more milk than needed, creating excess SMP and butter/ghee without buyers.
oAnnual SMP Production: Indian dairies produce 5.5-6 lakh tonnes of SMP annually.
oSMP Utilization: About 4 lakh tonnes are used for recombining during the lean season; 1.5-2 lakh tonnes are used in food and industrial products.
