ASSAM RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND AGRICULTURAL SERVICES (ARIAS) SOCIETY

Arias Society: Project Coordination Unit
Dairy Department

1. Short Introduction of Dairy Component

Assam is having small-scale milk producers who have the potential to meet the required increased demand in milk and milk products in growing urban centers where there is a demand. Due to agro climatic condition production potential are there. More so with the Artificial Insemination programme taken up in ARIASP with World Bank assistance. But improvements are required for integrating small holders and smallholder groups in the production chain and marketing chain. The main objective is to attract small holders into the supply cycle is to provide increased returns for their produce to stimulate production and encourage uptake of improved technologies. This applies marketing of milk from farm level where hygienic quality and safe milk is encouraged to be produced and marked right up to consumer level. This will also encourage value addition and other effective and adaptable technologies by organized groups of producers who collectively can take up the activities. This project aims to improve the livelihood of livestock farmers through organizing them in to Self Help Group or Dairy Cooperative Societies and providing them both forward and back ward linkages in order to make them more competitive and to give them remunerative price for their produce. It will also look at ways and means to improve the existing traditional milk markets.

2. Major items/activities proposed under AACP

  • Capacity building of the livestock farmers

  • Capacity building of the departmental officers.

  • Support for hygienic milk and milk products.

  • Organized milk procurement and marketing.

  • Improvement of infrastructure for milk processing and preservation.

  • Awareness building of the consumers.

  • Organizing traditional milk market.

  • Small entrepreneur development for milk processing and value addition.

3. Implementing partners and their roles and responsibilities:

  1. PCU: Project approval and release of fund.
  2. A.H. & Vety Dept.: Technical services such as A.I. facilities, animal health services, fodder development, capacity building of para veterinarian, organization of poultry and pig rearer etc.
  3. ALDA: Bring 50% of non-descript indigenous cattle under artificial insemination, Artificial Insemination services at the farmers doorsteps, increase existing semen production capacity in qualitatively as well as quantitatively, improving existing training facilities in the State so that sufficient trained technicians and professionals are available to sustain extended breeding network, improve buffaloes of the State through selective breeding method, increase State milk production up to 1000 million litres in next 5 years.
  4. ATMA: Decentralize day-to-day management of Agricultural Technology system, integrate researchers, extension workers and other relevant stakeholders such as farmer organizations, NGOs, input supplier, and banks at district level, conduct diagnostic surveys and to determine the major production opportunities and constrains (markets, input supplies, financial and social factors, natural resources base) and identify the main problems affecting the technology service delivery and limiting its performance through participatory rural appraisals, prepare a five year District Agricultural Development Strategy (DADS) of the district and to set technical objectives and determine the funding requirement for need-based technology dissemination, and organization / market chain development activities at the district level.
  5. Dairy Development: Providing support to DCS & SHG, development of infrastructure and running of milk preservation, processing and marketing facilities, registration of cooperative, conduction of training programme.
  6. ILRI: Comprehensive Study on Dairy Sector in Assam
  7. NDDB: Training of officers of A.H. & Vety & Dairy Development and Extension Coordinators NNGO Coordinators.
  8. NGOs: Social mobilization, dissemination of information, formation of SHGs.
  9. Spear Head Team: Formation of DCS, Delivering technical support, organization of milk routes, initial running of bulk coolers etc.
  10. Para Veterinarian: Provide livestock health services to the farmers in association with the officers of A.H & Vety.
  11. Livestock farmers: Rearing of livestock
  12. DCS & SHG: Organized procurement of milk from the producers, milk testing and milk marketing.
  13. Milk Vendors/ Milkwallah: Milk marketing through unorganized sector.

4. Contact Information of Dairy Department.

Mr. B.P.Kakati, A.C.S
Director of Dairy Dept., Assam,
Khanapara, Guwahati-780 022.