Impacts of Training Rural Dairy Producers in India: Role of Dairy Vigyan Kendra

Abstract

The state of Gujarat, home to a vibrant network of dairy cooperatives, plays a significant role in milk production, accounting for 7.69% of the country’s total milk output. It ranked fifth in milk production among all Indian states and union territories in 2017–18. The state piloted a unique and specialised dairy extension program for dairy farmers through Dairy Vigyan Kendra (DVK) to promote dairy farming in its Panchmahal district. The DVK aimed to train rural dairy farmers and improve their socio-economic conditions. This study examines how DVK interventions increase the income from dairy, the herd size and milk production of the beneficiary farmers in the Panchmahal district. The result shows that farmers’ participation in DVK training increased their income from dairying. Further, the results highlighted that DVK intervention significantly increased milk production in the Panchmahal district. Our results conclude that the government can replicate the DVK training model in other districts of Gujarat, helping millions of dairy farmers enhance their skills and obtain more output and income from dairy farming.

Capacitating rural women for milk processing

“…One such study was also done in Gujarat by Dairy Vigyan Kendra (DVK) in which DVK provided trainings to rural dairy farmers to improve their socioeconomic conditions. The results showed that with training intervention the farmers were able to significantly increase the milk production which resulted in improving their economic conditions (Misra et al, 2023) [5] . The mean percentage change in the skills of the respondents after intervention was 58.5 percent which signifies that 58.5 percent of the respondents had change in skills after getting intervention.…”