COMFED Expands Dairy Cooperative Network in Bihar

Bihar’s dairy sector is set for another major grassroots expansion as the Bihar State Milk Co-operative Federation (COMFED) intensifies efforts to strengthen Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS) across the state under the government’s Saat Nischay–3 programme. A high-level review meeting recently assessed milk procurement growth and the expansion of village-level dairy cooperatives aimed at improving farmer income and boosting rural dairy participation. (Indian Cooperative)

Officials reviewed the progress of opening Dairy Cooperative Societies in every village to expand milk collection infrastructure, improve access to organised dairy markets and increase cooperative participation at the grassroots level. The initiative is expected to further strengthen Bihar’s rural dairy ecosystem by connecting more small dairy farmers directly with organised procurement systems under COMFED’s Sudha brand.

COMFED currently supports over 13.5 lakh farmer families across Bihar and markets dairy products under the well-known Sudha brand. The cooperative federation has emerged as one of eastern India’s largest dairy networks, with more than 21,000 village-level milk cooperative societies already active across the state, supporting around 7.5 lakh livestock farmers including nearly 1.9 lakh women members. Daily milk procurement currently averages around 22 lakh kilograms, while existing processing infrastructure can handle nearly 54 lakh litres per day.

The Bihar government is positioning dairy development as a major pillar of its rural economic strategy. Under the expansion roadmap, COMFED is also focusing on strengthening milk chilling infrastructure, digitising milk testing and payments, and improving procurement transparency to build greater farmer trust and participation. Experts believe village-level expansion of dairy cooperatives could significantly reduce middlemen dependency while ensuring more stable income for rural milk producers.

COMFED has also been expanding the national and international footprint of the Sudha brand. Sudha products are currently sold across Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi, Kolkata and northeastern states, while exports have already reached markets such as the United States and Canada. The federation is now exploring further expansion into Gulf and Southeast Asian markets as demand for Indian dairy products rises globally. (The Times of India)

Industry observers believe Bihar’s cooperative dairy expansion model could become a key driver of rural employment, women’s participation and organised milk procurement growth in eastern India over the coming years. The state government is expected to continue investing in processing infrastructure, chilling facilities and dairy modernization to strengthen Bihar’s position in India’s rapidly growing dairy economy.

Source: Dairynews7x7 14 May, 2026 Read full story here

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