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NDDB & Mother Dairy kick off Phase-II of dairy development project in Maharashtra
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Friday, 10 October, 2025, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Abhitash Singh, Mumbai
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The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Mother Dairy recently launched Phase 2 of their ambitious dairy development programme in Maharashtra, targeting districts across Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. The expansion is aimed at strengthening milk collection infrastructure, boosting herd productivity, and improving farmers’ incomes across 19 key districts.
Under Phase 1, which covered 11 districts, the programme mobilised support for over 35,000 dairy farmers, facilitating supply chains, animal health services and fodder cultivation. With the new phase, the outreach will broaden to eight additional districts.
“The results from Phase 1 have been very encouraging. Farmers have seen sustained increases in yield and revenue,” said Dr Meenesh Shah, chairman of NDDB. “With Phase 2, we aim to double the milk collection capacity to one million litres per day in these regions, and embed value-chain resilience for generations to come.”
The Government of Maharashtra has sanctioned Rs 149 crore for the new phase, as part of a total project outlay pegged at approximately Rs 328 crore. Key components include distributing 13,400 high-yielding cows and buffaloes, promoting fodder cultivation with subsidies, deploying electric chaff cutters, and providing training in modern dairy practices.
Pankaja Munde, Maharashtra’s State Minister for Environment and Animal Husbandry, said, “This intervention aligns with our goal of rural upliftment. We expect this project not only to add to milk output, but also generate employment in allied sectors such as feed processing, logistics and dairy services.”
In meetings recently held in Delhi, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari underscored the importance of dairy as a pillar of agrarian resilience and pledged continued support for infrastructure linkages and market access.
The Phase 2 rollout is scheduled to be completed by 2026–27, with progress reviews staggered across annual milestones. Experts say success will hinge on consistent supply of quality fodder, timely veterinary services, and the ability to integrate smallholder farmers into formal milk networks.
If finely executed, the expanded project could become a blueprint for dairy development in other semi-arid regions of India, reinforcing India’s leadership in the global dairy sector.
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