Bolangir: Livelihood through dairy development has become the new mantra of self-reliance in Bolangir district, known for its rampant migration and economic backwardness, a report said. Every year lakhs of labourers migrate to other states in search of works. The exploitation and torture of the labourers and the violation of their human rights often becomes the talking point in state and national level. The state government is implementing a host of measures to resolve the problems of migrant labourers and to check the exodus of labourers to other states.
Among the measures, implementation of dairy development programme has started bearing fruits for the residents by making them self-reliant. The women cooperative milk union at Jambahal village under Patnagarh block in the district is a case in point.
The women members of the union are now supplementing their family income through dairy farming and have become self-reliant. Dairy has now become the symbol of financial empowerment for people in migration prone and Maoist dominated Turekela, Muribahal, Bongomunda, Belpada, Khaprakhol blocks in the district.
According to reports, the dairy development scheme being implemented in Bolangir district has turned out to be the leading livelihood based programme in the state. To bring them under dairy farming and provide them a regular source of income, the district administration has formed several women-centric dairy cooperatives under Bolangir-Kalahandi-Nuapada Regional Cooperative Milk Producer Union (BKNCMU) of Omfed. Milk production has become a profitable venture for the residents after formation of BKNCMU.
The district currently has over 230 cooperative milk unions in 14 blocks. These milk unions have over 15,313 milk farmers registered as its members. Over 31,252 litres are produced daily by the milk farmers. The district administration has increased the capacity of milk chilling plants to 60,000 litre after witnessing the interest of the farmers towards dairy farming and the success rate in the scheme.
The district was producing only 16,800 litres of milk in 2018-19 fiscal which has now increased to 31,252 litres in 2021-22.
The dairy farmers are constantly reaping success in milk farming under the direct supervision of Saroj Kumar Sahu, general manager of BKNCMU. The district administration is laying stress on awareness programmes, formation of new cooperative milk unions, use of automatic milk collection equipment, establishment of new milk routes, upgradation of infrastructure and equipment and direct participation of dairy farmers. This has freed the milk farmers from misappropriation of their money and delayed payment. People are getting increasingly drawn to dairy farming due to use of advance technology.
When contacted, Collector Chanchal Rana, also administrator of the milk producer union, said dairy farming came across as one of the best solutions to curb migration of residents particularly women. This has empowered them socially and financially. The involvement of women in dairy farming has helped in preventing women and children from migrating to other states, he added.