Patna: The state govt is planning to bring goat milk into the organised dairy economy through the cooperative model, with milk procured from farmers set to be processed and marketed under the Sudha brand to boost rural incomes.Announcing the initiative on Wednesday, dairy, fisheries and animal resources minister Nand Kishor Ram said goat farmers would be organised into cooperative societies at the block level, while milk collection would be routed through Comfed’s existing procurement network.The move aims to provide goat rearers with a regular source of income beyond the sale of animals. “A goat farmer’s income should not depend only on selling goats. Milk production can become an additional and sustainable source of earnings,” the minister said.He added that the govt is also working towards establishing a Goat Federation to strengthen the cooperative framework for goat farmers across the state.The announcement came as the Bihar govt signed a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and The Goat Trust to develop goat farming as an organised and profitable rural enterprise.The programme, chaired by department secretary Sirsat Kapil Ashok, seeks to connect goat farmers with scientific rearing practices, better animal health and management, capacity-building programmes, training and organised market linkages. The Goat Trust will provide technical support to improve productivity and profitability in the sector.Drawing a parallel with Comfed’s dairy success, Ram said the cooperative model that transformed cow and buffalo milk procurement would now be extended to goat farmers. He said organised collection and marketing of goat milk could significantly improve returns for rural households.“If milk produced in villages is linked to nearby collection systems, farmers will not have to look for buyers themselves,” he said.Secretary Sirsat Kapil Ashok said strengthening the entire value chain, including animal health, breed improvement, nutrition, disease control, vaccination, clean milk production, collection, processing and marketing, would be essential for the initiative’s success.Director of animal husbandry Ujjwal Kumar Singh said implementation would now focus on village-level interventions related to animal health, nutrition, breeding and hygienic milk production.
