To double farmers’ income and make them self-reliant, the Madhya Pradesh government is actively promoting animal husbandry. Through various schemes, the state is encouraging cattle rearing and milk production. It is the pledge of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav to make Madhya Pradesh the ‘Milk Capital of India’ by 2028 with sustained growth in milk production. Cow protection and promotion remain among the top priorities of the government.
The Department of Animal Husbandry has been renamed as the Department of Cow Rearing. Madhya Pradesh currently contributes 9% of the country’s total milk production and the government aims to raise this share to 20%. To improve cattle feed supply, the monthly financial assistance has been increased from ₹20 to ₹40 per animal. To achieve the vision of ‘Har Ghar Gokul’, 946 new dairy cooperative societies have been formed across the state. Under the ‘Vrindavan Gram Yojana’, one model self-reliant dairy village is being developed in each district to strengthen rural livelihood through milk production.
The state’s Sanchi brand, operated by the Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Dairy Federation, is being popularised with support of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The NDDB is assisting the state with expertise in branding, veterinary training, infrastructure and cattle care. The dairy network will expand to 26,000 villages, ensuring the collection of 52 lakh kg of milk daily by 2030. To handle the increased supply, modern processing infrastructure will be developed and state-produced milk products will receive national-level branding.