Maharashtra Milk Procurement Drops by 750k Litres Daily After FDA Adulteration Crackdown

Maharashtra’s average daily milk procurement dropped by over 750,000 litres in a single month following a statewide crackdown on adulterated milk by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to data from the state’s dairy development department. State officials stated that the data indicates a large volume of adulterated milk prepared with hazardous chemicals was being sold and consumed across the state.

Monthly procurement figures released by the dairy development department show that average daily milk collection fell from 17.923 million litres in May 2026 to 17.172 million litres in June, representing a drop of 751,000 litres per day. Compared to January, when average daily procurement stood at 18.923 million litres, daily collection has dropped by 1.8 million litres.

Over the past two months, the FDA launched inspections targeting collection centres, particularly within the unorganised sector across several parts of Maharashtra. During the operation, FDA officers inspected approximately 360 establishments, seized 160,329 litres of adulterated milk valued at ₹65.17 lakh, suspended 35 operating licences, and registered seven First Information Reports (FIRs).

Raids conducted by officials revealed that synthetic milk syndicates were using hazardous substances to produce adulterated milk. Inspections found ingredients including skimmed milk powder, vegetable oil, detergent, shampoo, contaminated water, and fertilisers such as urea.

An official from the animal husbandry department noted that Maharashtra’s average daily milk procurement had previously increased from 13.1 million litres to 17.1 million litres over the past three years. The sharp drop following the FDA’s enforcement drive has raised concerns among officials that the earlier rise in procurement may have been driven by adulterated supplies.

The animal husbandry department clarified that its responsibilities are limited to implementing dairy development schemes and supervising milk collection from farmers and large dairy farms up to procurement centres. Legal enforcement against food and milk adulteration rests entirely with the FDA, which faces challenges due to manpower shortages. According to Maharashtra’s Economic Survey 2025-26, annual milk production in the state grew by 68% over the last decade, rising from 10.1 million metric tonnes in 2015-16 to 16.6 million metric tonnes in 2024-25.