The dairy landscape in Rajasthan has witnessed a remarkable financial upswing, with the state's annual turnover from milk production and cattle feed registering impressive growth. According to an official statement from Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's office on Monday, the sector's turnover has escalated from Rs 8,000 crore to a substantial Rs 10,000 crore within the last two years.
Financial Turnaround for Cooperative Milk Unions
This significant growth is largely credited to a revitalized cooperative network and a swift expansion of processing facilities. The government highlighted a major financial recovery for most cooperative milk unions, which were previously struggling under economic pressure. The annual profit of these milk unions has seen a sharp increase of nearly 44%. In a striking turnaround, while 15 milk units were operating at a loss until 2023, all 24 units are now functioning profitably.
Infrastructure Expansion and Ambitious Targets
Parallel to strengthening the cooperatives, Rajasthan has aggressively expanded its dairy processing base. The state's daily processing capacity has been boosted from 48 lakh litres to 54 lakh litres per day. Not resting on these laurels, the administration has set an ambitious new target: to achieve a processing capacity of 70 lakh litres per day within the next two years.
To fuel this infrastructure development and ensure the sector's continued growth, the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF) has established a dedicated fund. A corpus of Rs 1,000 crore has been created to support and accelerate projects aimed at modernizing and expanding the dairy ecosystem across the state.
A Model for Sustainable Agricultural Growth
The transformation of Rajasthan's dairy sector stands as a testament to the impact of focused policy support and investment in agricultural infrastructure. The shift from widespread losses to universal profitability among milk unions indicates a sustainable model that benefits both the producers and the state's economy. The establishment of the Rs 1,000 crore fund underscores a long-term commitment to making Rajasthan a leading dairy hub, promising further stability and growth for thousands of farmers and stakeholders dependent on this vital industry.
