Madhya Pradesh chief minister Dr. Mohan Yadav on Tuesday stressed the need to focus not only on increasing milk production but also on improving branding, veterinary training, cattle care, and modern infrastructure in the dairy sector.
“Along with increasing milk production, equal emphasis must be placed on better branding of dairy products, proper cattle care, training in the veterinary sector and development of advanced infrastructure,” Dr. Yadav said while addressing a meeting at Mantralaya to review the activities of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and state milk unions.
He directed officials to fully utilise the expertise of the NDDB and set a target of expanding the state’s dairy network to 26,000 villages by 2030, with milk collection reaching 52 lakh kilograms.
“To ensure optimal utilisation of the enhanced milk collection, state-of-the-art dairy processing infrastructure should be developed and dairy products from Madhya Pradesh must be established with strong national-level branding,” he added.
Veterinary courses to be conducted in all universities
Dr. Yadav said that veterinary courses should be introduced in all universities of the state with the support of the Veterinary Council of India. He also sought NDDB’s assistance in upgrading and managing large ‘Gaushalas’ under urban bodies.
The chief minister emphasised that all milk unions must adopt standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure uniformity in product manufacturing. He also directed regular monitoring to guarantee timely and consistent payment to milk producers. In regions where milk unions have limited reach, private dairy entrepreneurs should be encouraged and provided with training in modern technology.
He further instructed that coordination be strengthened among state milk unions, the Madhya Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission, and the Madhya Pradesh Agro-industries Development Corporation.
Milk unions bringing innovations for members’ welfare
Officials informed the meeting that the process of digitising the entire dairy chain has already begun. The Indore Milk Union has launched a mobile app for milk collection, allowing producers to instantly access details of the quantity, quality and value of their milk.
The Bhopal Milk Union has introduced the campaign ‘Doodh ka doodh, pani ka pani’ to help urban consumers test milk quality. It has also started the ‘Sanchi Bhaat Yojana’, under which cooperative society members’ daughters receive ₹11,000 and clothing as wedding assistance. Similarly, the Ujjain Milk Union has rolled out special grants to improve livestock health.
The meeting was attended by additional chief secretary to CM Neeraj Mandloi, principal secretary (animal husbandry & dairy development) Umakant Umrao, NDDB chairman Dr. Minesh Shah, Veterinary Council of India chairman Dr. Umesh Sharma and other senior officials.