Bihar Government Launches Major Dairy Sector Expansion Initiative
In a significant move to boost rural economy and agricultural income, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced on Saturday a comprehensive expansion plan for the state's dairy sector. The initiative forms a crucial component of the government's Saat Nishchay-3 program, which aims to create substantial employment opportunities across the state.
Milk Producers' Committees to Cover All Villages
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar revealed that Milk Producers' Committees (MPCs) will be established in the remaining 14,480 villages across Bihar over the next two years. This decision comes as part of the government's renewed focus on strengthening the dairy industry to enhance the livelihoods of milch-cattle owners and farmers who engage in milk production as supplementary economic activity.
The CM elaborated through his social media platform: "Under the component 'Krishi Mein Pragati – Pradesh Mein Samriddhi' of the Saat Nishchay-3 programme, a decision has been taken to set up MPC in every village to promote the dairy sector, so that the cattle owners get proper price for the milk they produce."
Currently, Bihar has 39,073 revenue villages, with 25,593 already covered by existing Milk Producers' Committees. The directive has been issued to the animal and fishery resources department to complete the establishment of MPCs in the remaining villages within the specified timeframe.
Expansion of Sudha Milk Outlet Network
In parallel with the MPC expansion, the government has announced plans to extend the Sudha milk outlet network to every panchayat in the state. While Sudha outlets already operate in all 534 blocks, the new initiative will bring these facilities to the panchayat level, significantly improving milk accessibility for rural communities.
Of the 8,053 panchayats in Bihar, work has commenced in 100 locations, with the remaining 7,953 panchayats scheduled to be covered during the 2026-27 financial year.
Empowering Women Through Dairy Entrepreneurship
A notable aspect of this initiative involves the prioritization of Jeevika Didis associated with self-help groups under the Mahila Rojgar Yojana for managing panchayat-level Sudha milk outlets. This strategic move aims to promote women's entrepreneurship in rural areas while ensuring efficient management of the expanded dairy infrastructure.
The Chief Minister emphasized that this approach would not only generate work opportunities within villages but also empower women economically. "The instruction has also been issued to allot the panchayat-level Sudha milk outlets to the Jeevika Didis on a priority basis under the Mahila Rojgar Yojana. It will promote women's entrepreneurship in rural areas," Kumar stated.
Broader Economic Impact and Program Integration
The dairy sector expansion represents a key element of Bihar's comprehensive development strategy. As part of the allied activities within the agriculture sector, the dairy and fishery wings together contribute significantly to rural employment and income generation.
The Saat Nishchay-3 program, under which this initiative falls, has an ambitious target of creating jobs and work opportunities for one crore youths over the next five years. By strengthening the dairy value chain from production to distribution, the government aims to achieve multiple objectives:
- Increasing farmers' income through better milk pricing
- Enhancing milk availability across the state
- Creating sustainable employment opportunities in rural areas
- Promoting women's economic participation
- Strengthening the agricultural ecosystem through allied activities
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that these measures would substantially boost the rural economy while addressing both employment generation and nutritional security through increased milk production and distribution.
