Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has highlighted a cooperative-led approach to improving the income of livestock farmers in West Bengal through better animal breeds, improved husbandry practices and stronger market linkages.
Speaking on the initiative, Shah said livestock farmers would be provided access to advanced-breed animals with the potential to deliver at least 25% higher milk production compared with existing animals. He emphasised that combining improved breeds with better animal management and reliable markets could support higher productivity and create new opportunities for dairy farmers.
Shah also highlighted the scope for expanding the market for West Bengal’s dairy products beyond the state. Referring to mishti doi, he said products manufactured at the dairy plant could reach consumers across the country, extending from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to Bengal.
The proposed approach focuses on strengthening the dairy cooperative ecosystem at multiple levels—from improving productivity and animal husbandry at the farmer level to developing broader markets for milk and value-added dairy products.
The initiative forms part of the Ministry of Cooperation’s broader “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” framework, which promotes dairy cooperatives and other grassroots cooperative institutions as mechanisms for expanding rural economic activity and supporting improved livelihoods for farmers.