Maharashtra, May 16, 2016: Abbott and Prabhat Dairy came together with dairy farmers in Shrirampur to celebrate the launch and early success of their program focused on developing local economies and increasing farmer capacity to produce quality milk.
Early results of the ‘NirmalDhara’ program in the first five villages are encouraging, with more than 350 farmer households already participating in the program since initial efforts began in March 2016. Through ongoing training, incentives, expertise and improved infrastructure, the program aims to empower dairy farmers to increase both the quantity and quality of their milk. Abbott and Prabhat also have opened new model milk collection centers in the five villages, which allows farmers to sell milk in their own communities.
The program aims to expand from five initial villages(Kolhar, Ozer, Bhandgaon, Bel-Pimpalgaon and Nimgaonwagha)to five additional villages by the end of 2016, with the goal of reaching up to 1,500 farmers.
Investing in Farmers
“Many farmers in rural Maharashtra have taken on dairy farming as means to increase their income. Working together with Abbott, we aim to provide farmers with the tools and resources they need to grow their family farms,” said Vivek Nirmal, Joint Managing Director at Prabhat. “This will help to propel local economies, while also providing Abbott and Prabhat with an expanded supply of quality milk.”
The program aims to support dairy farmers in three ways:
- Providing training and resources for small-holder farmers – especially women farmers– in financial and business skills, veterinary care, feeding and dairy development.
- Building critical infrastructure, including new bulk milk chiller facilities in local communities, in an effort to provide safe and reliable cold storage to ensure high-quality milk.
- Providing a reliable, sustainable market that supports transparent, consistent prices based on quality of milk.
Combining Unique Capabilities
To advance the program, each partner is applying its unique and complementary expertise and resources to support local dairy farmers. Abbott is sharing its modern dairy,engineering, nutrition and business expertise and resources to create new infrastructure and systems for dairy in Maharashtra, including 10 milk chilling centers. Abbott also has engaged the international non-profit Techno Serve to design and implement customized training programs that are meaningful for farmers, including trainings on animal husbandry, finance and women’s empowerment.
Prabhat Dairy Limited has deep milk collection experience in India, and is playing an important role in bringing change in the life of farmers at grass root level through various initiatives such as fodder management, cattle management, creating self help groups, women empowerment and employment generation. In the current drought situation, the company also is educating farmers on how to take care of their cattle and the various techniques on fodder management such as hydroponics, a zolla and silage which requires less water for growth and have good nutrition value. Prabhat also is demonstrating the new model to farmers in other villages, helping to replicate the ‘NirmalDhara’ program across the region.
“Our nutrition business needed a sustainable approach to securing quality milk in India – which provided us with an opportunity to tackle complex social and economic barriers in an innovative way,” said Katherine Pick us, divisional vice president, Global Citizenship and Policy at Abbott. “We know that there is strength in partnership. Prabhat and Techno Serve bring incredible depth that complements Abbott’s expertise. By working together to bring farmers into the organized dairy industry, we’re aiming to strengthen the supply chain, while helping farmers to build better lives and stronger communities.”
Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)
