COOPERATIVE DAIRY FARMING AS A PATHWAY TO RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN UTTARAKHAND

• Poonam Kunwar

  Author

• Dr. Brij Mohan Prasad

  Author

Dairy farming is an important component of the rural economy of Uttarakhand because it provides recurring cash income, creates employment close to the household, supports mixed farming and offers a productive role to family labour. The cooperative model strengthens these benefits by aggregating small quantities of milk, organising collection and quality testing, providing access to inputs and services, and connecting producers with processing and consumer markets. This paper examines cooperative dairy farming as a pathway to rural economic development in Uttarakhand, with particular attention to the Uttarakhand Cooperative Dairy Federation (UCDF), its Aanchal brand, village dairy cooperative societies and district milk unions. The study uses secondary information from official statistical publications and institutional sources. It analyses trends in milk production, the economic logic of producer cooperation, income and employment effects, women’s participation, market access, value addition, government support and the constraints created by mountainous geography. Official animal husbandry statistics show that milk production in Uttarakhand increased from 1,792.37 thousand tonnes in 2018–19 to 1,957.25 thousand tonnes in 2024–25, although the trend was not uniform in every year. The paper argues that the developmental value of dairying depends not only on increasing output but also on improving productivity, procurement, cold-chain infrastructure, transparent payments, cooperative governance and local value addition.

The findings indicate that cooperative dairying can reduce transaction costs for small producers and create backward and forward linkages in the rural economy. Stronger women’s membership, better fodder and veterinary services, digitalisation, hill-appropriate logistics, youth entrepreneurship and product diversification can increase its contribution to inclusive rural development.

1. Poonam Kunwar

   Research Scholar, Department of Economics, Shri Guru Ram Rai University, Dehradun-248001, Uttarakhand, India.

2. Dr. Brij Mohan Prasad

   (Assistant Professor), Supervisor, Department of Economics, Shri Guru Ram Rai University, Dehradun-248001, Uttarakhand, India.

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