Special Report on Two Years of State Government Achievements: Dairy Business Being Promoted in Bastar Division

Pilot project underway in Kondagaon and Kanker districts

Milk producers to receive subsidies and bank loans

Raipur, December 2025 To increase people’s income through employment and self-employment, the dairy business is being promoted in the Bastar division. A pilot project is being implemented in Kanker and Kondagaon districts through the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Under this scheme, tribal women are being linked to the dairy business. Notably, the scheme was inaugurated by Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai on June 1, 2025, from Bhongapal village in Kondagaon district.

Under the target of providing loans and subsidies for milch animals to 125 beneficiaries in Kondagaon and Kanker districts of Bastar division, so far bank loans have been sanctioned for applications submitted by 47 women, out of which 36 milch animals have been distributed to 24 women. To provide good-breed milch cows to beneficiaries, NDDB Dairy Services is identifying Sahiwal breed cows (with a daily milk production capacity of 8–10 litres) from Rajasthan and Punjab regions and distributing them to Scheduled Tribe women.

At present, through 95 functional milk cooperatives in the Bastar division, milk is being collected daily from 4,006 milk producers, amounting to 15,060 litres per day. Out of this, around 8,000 litres of milk per day is being marketed in the districts of Kanker, Kondagaon, Bastar, Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur and Narayanpur.

To promote cooperation in the Bastar division, over the next five years, 400 new villages will be connected through milk cooperatives. This will link around 9,000 milk producers and enable the collection of 48,000 litres of milk. In addition, milk chilling centres with a capacity of 28,000 litres and a new milk processing plant with a capacity of 1 lakh litres will be established in Bastar district.

This scheme is being implemented with the assistance of NDDB Dairy Services, a subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Under the scheme, for the cost of two milch animals amounting to Rs 1.40 lakh, the state government provides a 50 per cent subsidy of Rs 70,000. The remaining 40 per cent is provided as a bank loan, and 10 per cent is borne by the beneficiary.

To ensure easy availability of loans for Scheduled Tribe women farmers, the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Milk Federation has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chhattisgarh Rajya Gramin Bank (CRGB), which provides loans at a concessional interest rate for a period of four years. The loan instalments are deducted by the Milk Federation from the milk bills of beneficiary farmers and deposited with the bank.

In addition, under the scheme, beneficiaries are provided free support for a period of one year, which includes cow insurance (for one year), animal health monitoring equipment, 5 kilograms of silage fodder, 2 kilograms of cattle feed, and 50 grams of mineral mixture per animal per day. Farmers are trained in scientific animal management practices before and after the induction of animals. Furthermore, the Animal Husbandry Department is providing animal breeding and health services.

After the establishment of the dairy unit, surplus milk remaining after household consumption is purchased from Scheduled Tribe women beneficiaries by the Milk Federation at predetermined rates. To simplify milk collection, the Milk Federation has established new milk cooperatives and developed milk collection routes. A Scheduled Tribe woman beneficiary supplies approximately 12 litres of milk per day to the milk cooperative, earning around Rs 13,000 per month. This initiative has proven helpful in enhancing livelihoods, improving nutrition, and promoting self-reliance among Scheduled Tribe women farmers and their families.