The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has announced an ambitious expansion of India’s dairy cooperative network, with plans to link about 8,000 villages in Rajasthan to organised dairy cooperatives over the next five years as part of a broader effort covering 75,000 villages nationwide. The initiative aims to deepen rural participation in the cooperative dairy system and strengthen milk procurement networks.
Speaking at the ‘Rangeelo 2026’ dairy and livestock festival in Jobner, NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah said the programme will not only bring new villages into cooperative structures but also enhance infrastructure in around 4,000 existing villages — including milk testing facilities and collection systems — to improve quality and transparency in the milk value chain. This expansion is seen as critical to increasing the share of organised milk flows, which NDDB notes currently account for only about 35–40% of India’s marketable surplus, with the remainder still unorganised.
India’s dairy cooperative movement has been instrumental in transforming the country into the world’s largest milk producer, with annual output nearing 250 million metric tonnes — up markedly from earlier decades — and involving nearly 8 crore farmers across rural India. By integrating more villages into cooperatives, NDDB hopes to boost farmer incomes, enhance product quality for consumers, and strengthen the organised dairy sector under initiatives such as White Revolution 2.0.
During the event, traditional and indigenous cattle breeds were also showcased, and discussions covered sustainable livestock practices, including biogas generation and scientific manure management to address environmental challenges tied to large livestock populations.
Source : Dairynews7x7 Feb 28th 2026 Read full story here
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