The dairy farmers of Puri district now believe that dairying is not only a tool for women empowerment but can also strengthen the rural economy. The producers are exhibiting a growing confidence in the pioneering practices introduced by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) under the National Dairy Plan I (NDP I).
While interacting with the milk producers at Talakapa, Banaprabha and Sideshwari in Puri, NDDB MD Dilip Rath said, “The NDP I is planned to address the issues of productivity enhancement and providing greater market access to milk producers. The priority NDP activities are Ration Balancing Programme (RBP), Fodder Demonstration and Village Based Milk Procurement System (VBMPS)”. He said that the NDDB also aims to empower rural women of Puri by making them self-sufficient through dairying.
The Puri Milk Union procures about 75,000 litres of milk per day from 17,460 pourer members affiliated to 625 functional dairy cooperative societies. The union has 39 BMCs and 3 chilling centres and markets around 14,216 litres of milk per day. The union has a total 211 Artificial Insemination Centres.