In a significant push towards India’s Second White Revolution, Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has called for scaling up the National Dairy Development Board’s (NDDB) biogas generation models across 250 district dairy cooperatives in the next two years. Addressing a workshop on sustainability and circularity in the dairy sector, Shah stressed the need for holistic utilization of dairy sector resources, including cowdung-based biogas, organic fertilizers, and domestic dairy machinery.
Dairy Sector as a Key Player in India’s Growth
Highlighting the economic importance of the dairy sector, Shah said,
“The dairy sector is crucial for ensuring additional income for farmers and preventing migration from agriculture. There is no better alternative to strengthen rural economies while ensuring sustainability.”
He further emphasized that an efficient and circular dairy economy would contribute significantly to India’s $5 trillion economy goal and the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Scaling Up Biogas Models for a Circular Dairy Economy
At the event, NDDB signed agreements with dairy cooperative unions from 15 states to establish biogas plants under three scalable models:
- Zakariyapura Model: Household-level biogas-based manure value chain.
- Banaskantha Model: Large-scale dung-based biogas plants for bio-CBG (Compressed Biogas) and organic fertilizer.
- Varanasi Model: Biogas plants catering to steam and power needs of dairy units.
Shah urged NDDB to extend cowdung collection beyond dairy cooperatives, incorporating private dairy farmers who lack proper waste management infrastructure. He stressed,
“About 16 crore tonnes of cowdung is available in India. We must tap into both cooperative and non-cooperative farmers to enhance biogas plant viability.”
Focus on Fodder, Organic Manure & Indigenous Machinery
The minister also highlighted the need to promote livestock feed and fodder through cooperative networks to increase milk production. Additionally, he advocated for a circular economy in dairy processing, including:
- Marketing of organic manure to improve soil health.
- Setting up dairy processing units to enhance value addition.
- Manufacturing dairy equipment domestically to reduce reliance on imports.
“Our target should be that not a single dairy machine is imported,” Shah declared, urging NDDB to onboard district cooperatives for local manufacturing.
A Blueprint for the Future of Dairy Cooperatives
Shah proposed integrating circular economy principles into the constitution of multi-purpose cooperative units, ensuring that by-products like bones and leather are also efficiently utilized.
The event was attended by Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Ministers of State S P Singh Baghel and George Kurian, Dairy & Animal Husbandry Secretary Alka Upadhyaya, and other senior officials.
With these initiatives, India’s dairy sector is set to play a pivotal role in sustainable rural development, reinforcing cooperative strength and economic self-reliance.
