Rajasthan has significantly stepped up its commitment to the dairy sector by doubling the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund (RCDFIDF) from ₹1,000 crore to ₹2,000 crore in the State Budget 2026–27. The move is aimed at strengthening milk procurement, processing infrastructure and market access, with a clear focus on improving farmer incomes and cooperative efficiency.
A key highlight of the announcement is a separate allocation of ₹100 crore for the expansion of the Saras dairy brand. The funding will be used to scale up Saras’ presence beyond Rajasthan, including the opening of outlets in NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other key markets. This expansion is expected to enhance value realisation for milk producers by improving brand visibility and access to higher-value urban consumers.
The enhanced RCDFIDF will be deployed for modernisation and expansion of cooperative dairy plants, new milk processing capacities, chilling and collection infrastructure, and allied facilities such as cattle feed plants. The objective is to remove infrastructure bottlenecks that limit procurement growth, especially in high-milk-potential districts.
The budget announcement also aligns with Rajasthan’s broader dairy development strategy, which includes price support to milk producers, expansion of milk collection centres, and strengthening of cooperative retail networks. By combining infrastructure investment with market expansion, the state is positioning its cooperative dairy system to compete more effectively with private players while ensuring stable and remunerative prices for farmers.
With this decision, Rajasthan has made one of the largest state-level financial commitments to the dairy sector in recent years, reinforcing the cooperative model and signalling strong policy support for dairy-led rural growth.
Source : Dairynews7x7 Feb 16th 2026 Read full story here