Govt wants to increase milk production through cooperative assocs

In an effort to fulfil the domestic demand for milk locally, the government intends to boost production by establishing cooperatives across the country and increase supply at the consumer level.

To this end, the Rural Development and Co-operatives Division launched a project titled “Expansion of Milk Activities in Milk Deficit Upazilas” to establish 100 effective cooperatives and boost milk production, according to a senior official of the planning ministry.

The project aims to increase milk production through breeding hybrid dairy cattle in the project areas while also ensuring women’s participation and job opportunities. Some 50 upazilas in 37 districts across all eight upazilas of the country will be brought under the project.

The project will be implemented by June 2025 at a cost of Tk 156.88 crore, which will come from the government exchequer.

The main components of the project are forming 100 cooperatives in these areas and training 5,000 new entrepreneurs.

Besides, the implementing agency will establish five calf-growing centres with vaccination and artificial production facilities, which will also use financial software to maintain separate databases.

The senior official said the project was introduced in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for FY 2021-22. According to the Department of Livestock Services, in FY 2020-21, Bangladesh produced 119.85 lakh tonnes of milk against a demand of 152.02 lakh tonnes.

The deficit was met by bulk imports of milk powder, mainly from Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Denmark, and Poland.

According to the 8th Five Year Plan, the government emphasized the need to improve the village economy through employment generation. It has also emphasized the importance of cooperative associations in the country. Speaking on the matter, Foyzul Islam, chief of Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Division of the Planning Commission, said the project will offset the supply in these milk deficit areas.

“It will create employment for women and develop the economic activities of these areas,” he said adding that the project would also Bangladesh achieve food and nutritional security.