Bhopal, October 3, 2026

Madhya Pradesh on Saturday stepped up its dairy and cooperative expansion with Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launching a series of projects aimed at increasing milk collection, processing capacity and returns to livestock farmers.

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav described the initiative as the beginning of “White Revolution 2.0” in Madhya Pradesh, with the state setting a target of raising milk procurement through cooperative societies to 50 lakh litres per day. The announcements came at the state-level Gopalak Sammelan at BHEL Dussehra Maidan in Bhopal. More than 35,000 cattle rearers and members of dairy cooperative societies were expected to attend the programme.

Shah virtually laid the foundation stone for a new milk processing plant at Ujjain. The Rs 255-crore facility will initially have a processing capacity of three lakh litres of milk per day. Its capacity can later be expanded to five lakh litres per day. He also inaugurated a 40,000-litre-per-day product dairy plant in Bhopal, built at a cost of about Rs 16.5 crore, and a Rs 12.42-crore state-level central laboratory. Strengthening work on the mini dairy plant at Shivpuri, costing Rs 6.5 crore, was also inaugurated. Financial support was also released during the programme. Registered gaushalas received Rs 101 crore, while Rs 15.10 crore was distributed as dividend to members of dairy cooperative societies. Bonus payments were also made to members of the Bhopal and Indore milk unions.

Addressing the gathering, Shah said there had long been a demand for a separate Ministry of Cooperation at the Centre. He accused previous Congress governments of failing to create one and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi established the separate ministry after coming to power. Shah said cattle rearers would be among the biggest beneficiaries of the cooperative push. Referring to the difference between open-market and cooperative milk procurement, he said middlemen often bought milk from farmers at around Rs 35 a litre, while producers joining the cooperative system could receive up to Rs 55 a litre. But better prices alone would not be enough, he said. A strong processing network was equally important to turn milk into products such as ice cream, butter, ghee, cheese and mawa. Shah said the Rs 255-crore Ujjain plant, with a capacity to process three lakh litres of milk every day, was an important step towards creating that infrastructure.

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav said Madhya Pradesh has more than 80 lakh cattle rearers and produces over two crore litres of milk every day. He said the state is now the country's third-largest milk producer. Besides, around 12 lakh litres of milk is presently being procured daily through dairy cooperative societies. The next step would be to establish societies in villages that are still outside the cooperative network and gradually take organised collection to 50 lakh litres a day.

Dr Yadav said an agreement with the National Dairy Development Board would help strengthen the state's six milk unions, improve transparency and build a stronger dairy value chain. He said increasing milk production would also require improvement in livestock breeds. Madhya Pradesh has more than six crore livestock, but productivity remains an area that needs attention. The government plans to encourage high-yielding indigenous breeds such as Gir and Sahiwal.

The Chief Minister said around five lakh cattle are being cared for in nearly 3,500 gaushalas across the state. The government has also increased assistance for gaushalas in municipal corporation areas from Rs 20 to Rs 40 per cow. He referred to the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Kamdhenu Yojana, under which a project involving 25 cows and an investment of Rs 40 lakh can receive assistance of Rs 10 lakh. Competitions for improved breeds are also planned in Vrindavan villages, with cash awards for livestock farmers.

Animal healthcare is another part of the expansion. Madhya Pradesh currently operates 406 cattle ambulances, and the Chief Minister announced that another 168 would be added. Dr Yadav said dairy, animal husbandry, poultry, goat rearing and fisheries were being promoted alongside agriculture to create additional sources of income for rural families.

Earlier in the day, Shah inaugurated a five-day state-level exhibition on India's new criminal laws at BHEL Dussehra Ground. Organised by Madhya Pradesh Police, the exhibition explains the criminal justice process from reporting of a crime to delivery of justice and highlights major provisions under the new laws. Shah also visited different sections of the exhibition and was briefed about their implementation.