Indian Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has introduced White Revolution 2.0, aimed at boosting milk procurement by 50% over five years. The initiative includes the establishment of 100,000 cooperative societies, distribution of Micro-ATMs, and Rupay-Kisan Credit Cards to enhance financial access for dairy farmers.
Indian Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has unveiled the ambitious ‘White Revolution 2.0’ initiative to revolutionize the dairy industry and enhance financial accessibility for dairy farmers. This announcement comes alongside two other significant measures: the distribution of Micro-ATMs and Rupay-Kisan Credit Cards to dairy farmers.
Overview of White Revolution 2.0
The White Revolution 2.0 aims to boost milk procurement by dairy cooperative societies by 50% over the next five years. This initiative seeks to expand access to dairy farming in remote villages and strengthen the organized sector’s role in milk procurement.
Infrastructure and Financial Support
The plan includes setting up and fortifying 100,000 existing district cooperative societies, multi-purpose district cooperative societies, and Multi-purpose Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (M-PACS). These entities will be connected to milk routes with enhanced infrastructure. The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) will initially fund the initiative, allocating Rs 40,000 per M-PACS to 1,000 M-PACS, with future funding expected from the proposed National Programme for Dairy Development 2.0.
Enhanced Financial Tools for Farmers
In addition to White Revolution 2.0, the ‘Cooperation among Cooperatives’ initiative will provide dairy farmers with interest-free cash credit via Rupay-Kisan Credit Cards, significantly reducing borrowing costs. Micro-ATMs will also be distributed to dairy cooperative societies, converting them into banking hubs for District Credit Cooperative Banks. This effort is designed to bring banking services directly to farmers and keep cooperative funds within the sector.
Digital and Structural Upgrades
The government plans to computerize 67,930 Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS), benefiting approximately 130 million farmers. An action plan has been outlined to establish 100,000 new multipurpose PACS, dairy, and fisheries cooperative societies across all gram panchayats within the next five years.
These steps are part of a broader strategy to increase milk production, meet domestic demand, and explore export opportunities. The government has also signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for related projects, including the procurement of organic produce and the development of maize hybrids for ethanol production.
The launch of White Revolution 2.0 represents a pivotal moment for India’s dairy sector, promising to enhance production efficiency, financial support, and infrastructure, thereby transforming the landscape of dairy farming in the country.
