Link farmers with cooperatives to raise milk production-Yogi
To boost cooperative dairy in the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued directions to enhance the operations of the Pradeshik Cooperative Dairy Federation. Reviewing plans to expand its reach and increase its membership on Monday, the CM said there should be healthy competition among milk cooperative societies and dairy unions.
The CM said that employees associated with milk cooperative societies should receive the necessary training for their work so that cooperatives can be run efficiently. Milk cooperative societies should establish communication with every village and farmer to enhance their operations, while farmers should be made aware of maintaining high-yield dairy animals to increase milk production. He said farmers too should be scientifically trained in the care and management of dairy animals, which will help in increasing milk productivity and boosting a farmer's income.
"Women play a crucial role in all these activities, and the dairy sector has proven to be a powerful means of enhancing self-reliance for women. The Balini Milk Producer in the Bundelkhand region is a prime example of this. The participation of women in milk cooperative societies and dairy unions should be further encouraged," the CM said.
To ensure the proper working of the cooperatives, the CM stressed the need to fix accountability at every level in dairy unions and establish work targets. The capacity for milk collection should be increased, and the quality testing of milk should be improved, he said.
The Dairy Federation should develop better models to make the dairy sector more beneficial for farmers. Those who perform well in the dairy sector should be encouraged. Plants for compressed biogas from cow dung should be established, and the state govt will provide land for their setup," he added. During the presentation, the CM was informed that compared to last year, there was an increase in milk procurement and sales this year. Milk is being collected directly from producers through milk cooperative societies, while technical facilities are being provided to farmers to increase milk production. Efforts are ongoing to provide urban consumers with good quality milk at reasonable prices, he was informed.
At present, 18 cluster milk unions are operating in the state. PCDF is operating dairy plants in Bareilly, Prayagraj, Moradabad, Jhansi, Azamgarh, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Meerut, Kannauj, Gorakhpur, and Kanpur, while the National Dairy Development Board is operating dairy plants in Varanasi. It will also take up the operation of dairy plants in Kannauj, Gorakhpur, and Kanpur.