National Dairy Plan
The National Dairy Plan phase-I recently concluded on November 30th. It was introduced in 2012 to develop the dairy sector of the country. Its projects were largely funded by the International development Association of the World Bank. The first phase was introduced with an outlay of 2,242 crore INR. It focused on two main areas: increased milk production and improved breed development. Of the 3.2 lakh villages with potential for dairy development, the scheme has already covered 2 lakh villages.
The second phase is to be announced soon. It will have an outlay of 8,000 crore INR and involve funding from the World Bank. The second leg will focus on development of infrastructure and improvement of market access especially in the remote areas. The plan is to involve the provision of milk quality testing equipment at key milk procurement centres. For the first time, it will provide assistance to private players in the field. If private producers meet certain criteria, they may be able to avail the same kind of assistance under the upcoming NDP-II as cooperatives.
