Odisha Dairy Sector Lags Behind Potential, NABARD Report Highlights Issues

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s dairy sector faces significant hurdles, hindering its growth and impacting the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers. Despite a sizeable cattle population, Odisha’s milk production lags behind its potential, ranking 18th in the country.

A recent report by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) sheds light on the challenges impeding the dairy sector’s progress. These issues include low milk yields from existing cattle, fodder shortage, inadequate veterinary services, lack of timely Artificial Insemination (AI) services, and a substantial number of inactive or poorly functioning milk cooperative societies.

Furthermore, Odisha’s cattle predominantly consist of low-yielding breeds, with average milk yields significantly below the national average. The report also highlights the challenges faced by the Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation (OMFED), the state-owned dairy cooperative, due to delayed payments to farmers and non-functional Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCSs).

NABARD recommends revitalizing OMFED to enhance its competitiveness and address the low productivity of indigenous cattle breeds. The report emphasizes the need to address fodder scarcity and strengthen milk procurement infrastructure, particularly in non-traditional areas and backward districts.

Additionally, NABARD suggests establishing accredited food testing laboratories to ensure milk quality and safety. Enhancing bull mother stations and breeding farms through public-private partnerships (PPP) models is also recommended to improve semen quality.