Once without cows, this Chhattisgarh village now a niche in milk output

A Chhattisgarh village, that once had no milch cattle, is now producing milk in abundance and generating a new source of income for the villagers.

Bolbola gram panchayat in, Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh, has scripted a success story in India’s white revolution. Dr Neeta Mishra, a government veterinary doctor in Kondagaon, said there was no milch cow in the Bolbola Gram Panchayat according to the livestock census. “The gram panchayat has now created a niche in milk production,” she added.

The initiative was kicked off in April 2022 after Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel called for making Chhattisgarh a leader in milk production, on World Veterinary Day. The Kondagaon district administration took it as a challenge and chalked out a plan to promote dairy farming in the villages where there are no milch cattle. The tribal-dominated Bolbola village was selected for the project.

“As a first step, Gauthan - cattle shed under the Chhattisgarh government’s scheme - was constructed. The project was sponsored by the district administration using funds from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA),” Mishra said.

People came forward for cattle farming and the animal husbandry department provided necessary training to the women for dairy operations, she said, adding that many facilities, including fodder, water, and vaccination were made available to them on top of a loan grant.

Along with women groups, the male members of families and other villagers also joined the campaign. The loan grants were given to the beneficiaries to buy cows and set up milk chilling plants. The members were also trained to operate a milk chilling plant in Odisha.

Ratnuram Poyam, the village sarpanch, said currently the beneficiaries have 32 milch cows - from which 300 litres of milk is being produced daily. The group is generating an income of about Rs 13,000 per day from, Poyam said. Besides meeting the demand in the village, the group is also selling the produce to the district headquarters of Kondagaon and nearby villages.

Poyam said the project has changed the economic condition of the villagers. The group is now generating an additional income of Rs 1,280 per day by selling 640 kg cow dung. The Chhattisgarh government, under its flagship Godhan Nyay Yojana scheme, is procuring cow dung from the villagers for Rs 2 per kilogram.

Koyli Mandavi, Secretary of the Nai Roshni women self-help group, said besides economics, the project had also helped in improving the health condition of children. “Children weren’t able to drink milk due to non-availability,” she explained. Even the elderly are now sipping milk tea.