NDDB’s NDP I to strengthen dairy cooperatives in Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra

Bhopal, 1 August 2014: The National Dairy Development Board’s scientifically planned National Dairy Plan Phase I (NDP I) would focus on strengthening dairy cooperatives in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The focussed approach would emphasise on Ration Balancing Programme (RBP), Fodder Demonstration, Village Based Milk Procurement System (VBMPS), Pedigree Selection, strengthening semen station and conserve & develop indigenous breeds.

Shri T Nanda Kumar, Chairman, NDDB along with other NDDB officials visited Bhopal to review the progress of the NDP projects in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Shri T Nanda Kumar said, “Dairy Board remains committed to assisting dairy cooperatives to strengthen their business and provide better services to their members. NDDB’s NDP I will contribute to strengthening livelihoods of small holder milk producers that form the majority of India’s milk production system”.

Madhya Pradesh

Under NDP I, till June 2014, 6 sub projects from 4 End Implementing Agencies have been approved for Madhya Pradesh. These sub-projects have a total outlay of Rs. 15.67 crore, out of which Rs. 13.86 crore is grant assistance and Rs. 1.80 crore would be contributed by the End Implementing Agencies.

NDDB’s RBP aims to cover about 36000 milch animals in 400 villages in the operational area of Bhopal and Ujjain milk unions. Shri Avedh Narayan, a Local Resource Person (LRP) of Mana Khedi village has already covered 100 animals. Avedh’s hard work has shown encouraging results. The average milk increase is 0.39 litre per animal per day and average rise in fat percentage is 0.30. The average drop in cost of ration is Rs 7.41 per animal per day. The net gain by the farmer is Rs 22 per animal. A Local Resource Person of Semra Dangi village, Shri Raghuveer Singh has also covered 100 animals under the ration balancing project. The Village Based Milk Procurement System would also be in place covering about 225 villages by Bhopal and Indore milk unions, thereby enrolling around 7500 additional producer members. The programme is expected to generate an additional milk procurement of about 30 thousand kg per day by the two participating milk unions. Under the Fodder development programme, 10 Silage making demonstrations have been planned by the Bhopal milk union. The Bhadbhada semen station at Bhopal would be strengthened so as to raise its semen production capacity from about 14.5 lakh doses per annum in the year 2013-14 to about 22.5 lakh doses per annum till the end of the project year.

Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, 25 sub projects from 18 End Implementing Agencies have been approved under NDP I. These sub-projects have a total outlay of Rs. 95.08 crore out of which Rs. 77.66 crore would be grant assistance, whereas Rs. 17.42 crore would be contributed by the End Implementing Agencies.

The Kolhapur, Solapur and Pune milk unions would implement NDDB’s Ration Balancing Programme covering around 600 villages. It would also cover about 56000 milch animals in these milksheds. Under the Fodder Development programme, around 225 silage making demonstrations have been planned in different milksheds. The sub-projects of Village based Milk Procurement System would cover about 1500 villages and enroll about 55000 additional milk producers. This programme is expected to generate an additional milk procurement of about 245 TKgPD by the participating milk unions. The BAIF semen station at Urulikanchan would be strengthened so as to raise its capacity from about 84 lakh doses per annum in the year 2013-14 to about 120 lakh doses per annum till the end of project year. It has also been planned to conserve and develop the native breed of Pandharpuri buffaloes under the Pedigree Selection programme and establish 30 new AI centres in the native tracts of the breed, i.e. Solapur, Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli districts.