Dairy Cooperatives and Income of Milk pourers in cooperatives in Rajasthan Research Scholar

Abstract

Rajasthan has 10.6% of the livestock population of India where as it has 1.16% of surface water.  The State has about 60% area under desert so livestock rearing is an important source of livelihood for the population living in that area. Dairying is more labour-intensive than crop production.  It provides a remunerative outlet for family labour. Ample labour and a small land base encourage farmers to practise dairying as an occupation subsidiary to agriculture. The Rajasthan    Livestock sub-sector has grown at much higher rates every year as compared to the crop production sub-sector. The growth rate in the livestock sub-sector has been higher than that in crop husbandry even during corona pandemic period.   There is vast scope for improving the income of farmers through improving the productivity of milch animals and dairying activities.   

Rajasthan is the second largest milk-producing State in India, still, the animal husbandry and dairying sector face numerous challenges, which hinder the optimum growth in this sector. There lies the big potential to increase milk production, improve access of milk producers to organized markets, more processing of milk and higher marketing of value-added products, and improve the availability of quality milk and milk products to consumers. 

The Dairy Cooperative Institutional Structure is a three-tier system in Rajasthan: Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation at the state level, District Dairy Cooperative Milk Unions at the district level, and Dairy Cooperative Societies at the village level are playing an important and positive role in supporting milk pourers in various ways to increase their income levels.