MP CM sees dairy boost for jobs, industry
Madhya Pradesh is seeking to position dairy farming and milk processing as a driver of industrial activity, rural employment and higher farm incomes, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a state-level review meeting on dairy development, Dr Yadav said the Government wanted to expand milk production, processing and marketing in an integrated manner across all districts, with a sharper focus on strengthening the Sanchi brand. Branding of Sanchi products should reflect both cattle and dairy farmers, he said, while calling for coordinated operations from the village to the State level.
The meeting was held by a steering committee formed under an agreement between the Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Dairy Federation and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Senior State officials, federation executives and NDDB representatives attended the discussions.
Dr Yadav said dairy farming had a significant role in improving farm incomes and should be promoted through capacity-building programmes reaching the village level. He stressed the need for close monitoring of milk collection systems, transparent procurement, remunerative prices for producers and timely payments within defined deadlines.
The chief minister also pushed for expanding dairy activities through public-private partnerships, combining private investment with dairy cooperatives. He said this approach could encourage entrepreneurship, generate employment and support broader economic growth in the state. Industrial training institutes, he added, should introduce courses in dairy technology to create a skilled workforce for plant operations and provide local jobs for youth.
Officials said public confidence in the Sanchi brand had improved since NDDB took charge of operations, with demand emerging from several locations to start new Sanchi dairies. A 10-day roster has been fixed to ensure regular and timely payments to milk producers. Procurement prices have been raised by Rs 2.50 to Rs 8.50 per litre, depending on the dairy union.
Since the restructuring drive began, 1,241 new dairy cooperative societies have been formed and 635 inactive ones revived. The entire dairy value chain is being digitised, with software rolled out in Bhopal, Gwalior, Ujjain, Bundelkhand and Jabalpur. A mobile application introduced by the Indore dairy union provides real-time data on milk quantity, quality and pricing.
Looking ahead, the state aims to expand cooperative dairy coverage to 26,000 villages by 2029 — 30, raise daily milk collection to 5.2 million kg, increase daily sales to 3.5 million litres and build processing capacity of 6.33 million litres a day. Several closed or underutilised plants are being revived, including facilities in Shivpuri, Jabalpur, Indore and Gwalior.
