Patna: Trust and transparency are essential for the sustainable development of dairy cooperative societies, Bihar Dairy Secretary and COMPFED Chairman-cum-Managing Director Shirsat Kapil Ashok, IAS, said during a regional workshop in Kolkata on August 21.
The workshop was organised by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, under Component B of the Dairy Development through Cooperatives (DTC-JICA) project.
Senior officials from cooperative dairy federations and milk unions across the eastern region, including Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, participated in the workshop.
Direct milk payments highlighted as trust-building measure
Addressing the workshop, Ashok said trust and transparency form the foundation for the long-term growth of dairy cooperatives.
He highlighted measures being implemented by COMFED and its affiliated milk unions, including Direct Account Transfer (DAT) of milk procurement payments directly to member producers.
According to officials, such measures are aimed at strengthening confidence among milk producers and encouraging greater participation in organised milk procurement.
Bihar performs strongly under DTC-JICA project
The workshop reviewed the implementation and achievements of Phase I of the DTC-JICA project in Bihar.
Bihar’s milk unions were recognised for their performance at the national level in implementing the project and achieving targeted outcomes. The review covered initiatives related to strengthening dairy cooperative networks, increasing milk procurement, improving marketing and processing infrastructure, and developing cold-chain facilities.
The performance of Bihar’s dairy cooperatives in measures aimed at increasing cattle milk productivity was also appreciated during the review.
Officials noted that the project has supported infrastructure development and modernisation of facilities for the production of value-added dairy products.
Phase II to expand dairy cooperative support
The workshop also held detailed discussions on the proposed Phase II of the DTC-JICA project.
Drawing on the experience and lessons from the first phase, the proposed second phase is intended to expand the programme to more states while providing broader support for strengthening dairy cooperatives.
Discussions focused on the proposed project components, funding patterns, eligibility criteria, state-specific requirements and stakeholder consultations. Officials also discussed a proposed evaluation framework for assessing the performance of the cooperative dairy sector.
White Revolution 2.0 progress reviewed
The workshop also reviewed state-wise progress in the formation and registration of new dairy cooperative societies under White Revolution 2.0.
The status of data updates on the dairy development portal was also discussed as part of the review.
Senior officials from five eastern states participate
The workshop brought together senior officials from central and state governments, milk federations and dairy unions across the eastern region.
Participants included Dipanjan Bhattacharya, Managing Director of the West Bengal Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation; Dayanand Sawant, Deputy Commissioner (DD), Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India; and Rajesh Gupta, Managing Director of the Jharkhand Milk Federation, along with managing directors of milk unions and federations from the eastern states and other senior officials.
The regional review highlighted Bihar’s progress under the DTC-JICA initiative while providing a platform for participating states to share success stories, challenges and lessons related to dairy procurement, cooperative networks, processing infrastructure and cold-chain development.
