- Didi’s from 17 Bihan groups and 17 cattle rearers from Kabirdham district were sent on an educational tour to Banaskantha in Gujarat.
The educational tour of the sisters and animal husbandry workers associated with Bihan Self Help Groups of Kabirdham district to Dairy Cooperative and Amul Dairy Cooperative in Banaskantha, Gujarat was useful and inspiring. After returning from the tour, the sisters of Bihan group reached Kawardha residence and had a cordial meeting with Deputy Chief Minister and Kawardha MLA Shri Vijay Sharma. During this, the sisters tied Rakhi to him, wishing him on Rakshabandhan and shared information about the experiences gained in Gujarat and the new technologies learned.
Deputy Chief Minister Shri Sharma warmly welcomed all the sisters and livestock farmers and listened to their experiences. He said that the true purpose of an educational tour is achieved only when the lessons learned are adopted in their own villages and districts to create new livelihood opportunities. He called upon the sisters to implement the lessons learned from the advanced dairy system, animal husbandry techniques, fodder management, milk collection, quality control, and cooperative model observed in Banaskantha at the local level.
- Successful dairy and cooperative model seen in Banaskatha
It is noteworthy that, thanks to the special efforts of Deputy Chief Minister Shri Vijay Sharma, 17 sisters from Bihan groups and 17 livestock farmers from Kabirdham district were sent on an educational tour to Banaskantha, Gujarat. The team observed firsthand the functioning of the Dairy Cooperative and Amul Dairy Cooperative. During the tour, participants closely understood advanced animal husbandry techniques, balanced diet and fodder development, measures to increase milk production, modern milk collection and processing systems, milk quality testing, dairy product manufacturing, and their marketing. They also learned about the system for organizing small livestock farmers through the cooperative model, strengthening their income and the rural economy.
- Resolve to implement the learning in Kabirdham
The sisters who returned from Gujarat explained that animal husbandry and dairy activities there have been developed not just as a means of individual income, but as a model of collective economic development. They were particularly impressed by the systems in place to connect milk producers with markets, maintain quality, and obtain better prices for milk. The sisters said that the lessons learned in Banaskantha have inspired them to further improve animal husbandry and dairy activities in their villages. They will strive to collectively develop new livelihood opportunities by sharing the useful techniques and management practices they learned there with other rural women and animal herders.
- Initiative towards making rural women and animal herders self-reliant
Deputy Chief Minister Shri Vijay Sharma said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai, the state government is continuously striving to empower rural women and livestock farmers economically and make them self-reliant. Rural women are being organized through Bihan Self-Help Groups and connected to various economic activities. In the animal husbandry and dairy sectors, various initiatives are being taken to increase livestock farmers’ incomes through increased production, better management, and market linkages.
Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sharma said that the visit of the Didis and cattle farmers of Kabirdham to Banaskatha is not just a trip, but an important step towards transforming learnings into livelihood opportunities at the local level. The experiences gained from Gujarat’s successful dairy model will prove useful in the future in strengthening milk production, women’s self-help groups, and the rural economy in Kabirdham.