Dairy to anchor MP’s industrial, rural growth strategy: CM Yadav

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday called for leveraging the state’s dairy sector as a key driver of industrial expansion, employment generation and growth in farmers’ incomes.

Chairing a meeting of the state-level steering committee constituted under an agreement between the MP State Cooperative Dairy Federation and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the Chief Minister directed officials to significantly scale up milk production, processing and marketing activities across the state.

CM Yadav emphasised that dairy production holds vast employment potential and can play a decisive role in strengthening rural livelihoods.

He directed that integrated dairy activities be implemented in all districts and that the reach of the Sanchi brand be expanded rapidly.

Highlighting the importance of dairy farming in boosting farmers’ incomes, Yadav stressed the need to build capacity and skills at the village level to promote milk production.

He underlined the necessity of robust monitoring of milk collection systems, ensuring remunerative procurement prices, transparency in procurement mechanisms and timely payments to milk producers within a defined time frame.

The CM also advocated the expansion of dairy activities through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, with close coordination between private players and dairy cooperatives. To support the sector’s long-term requirements, he directed that dairy technology-focused courses and training programmes be introduced in ITIs. These initiatives, he said, would support dairy plant operations and create local employment opportunities for youth.

Public confidence in the Sanchi brand has strengthened since NDDB assumed operational responsibility, with demand emerging for new dairies across the state. To ensure timely payments, a 10-day roster has been fixed, while milk procurement prices have been increased by Rs 2.50 to Rs 8.50 per litre. The state has formed 1,241 new milk cooperative societies and revived 635 defunct ones.

The dairy value chain has been digitised in five major milk unions, while a mobile App for milk collection has been introduced in Indore, providing real-time data on milk quantity, quality and price. By 2029–30, MP aims to extend dairy cooperative coverage to 26,000 villages, achieve daily milk collection of 52 lakh kg and expand processing capacity through revived and new dairy plants.