A new women-led dairy cooperative, the Marathvarhad MPO (Milk Producer Organization), has been established with a goal to increase milk procurement to 11 lakh kilograms per day over the next five years, aiming for an annual turnover of ₹1,800 crore. Headquartered in Nagpur, the MPO marks a big step in expanding organized milk production and empowering women dairy farmers in Maharashtra’s drought-prone Vidarbha and Marathwada regions.
Building on the Vidarbha-Marathwada Dairy Development Project
The Marathvarhad MPO emerges from the existing framework of the Vidarbha and Marathwada Dairy Development Project (VMDDP), which has been operational since 2016. This initiative traces back to a 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Government of Maharashtra. The MoU aimed to promote dairy farming as a sustainable, alternative livelihood for farmers in these distressed regions, where crop farming faces severe challenges due to recurring droughts.
Mother Dairy, a wholly owned subsidiary of NDDB, was tasked with providing market access for the milk collected under the project. Over the years, VMDDP has built a strong network, currently procuring around 4 lakh litres of milk daily from 35,000 dairy farmers. The milk is collected from 2,500 Milk Pooling Points (MPPs) spread across ten districts — Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Nagpur, Chandrapur, and Buldhana in Vidarbha, along with Nanded, Osmanabad, Latur, and Jalna in Marathwada.
Transition to a Women-Owned Organisation
With VMDDP reaching an optimal scale, NDDB facilitated the creation of Marathvarhad MPO to bring the existing operations under its ambit. This shift aligns with NDDB’s mandate to promote farmer-owned organisations, ensuring farmers — especially women — gain greater control over the dairy value chain. NDDB Dairy Services, a not-for-profit subsidiary of NDDB with expertise in building farmer-owned cooperatives, will provide technical assistance to the MPO. Mother Dairy will continue its role in offering market access for the milk procured through the organization.
Marathvarhad MPO aims to extend its organised milk procurement network to cover 6,000 villages across Vidarbha and Marathwada. It plans to enrol 1.85 lakh women dairy farmers as members, strengthening the role of women in the region’s dairy economy.
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Strengthening Infrastructure and Farmer Support
To ensure transparency and efficiency, Marathvarhad MPO will implement automated milk collection systems across all intervention villages. These systems are designed to ensure fair measurements and guarantee timely payments, directly transferred to the bank accounts of women members.
The Marathvarhad MPO also plans to deliver technical input services directly to farmers’ doorsteps to help boost milk productivity. This includes promoting high-quality feed and fodder production and ensuring a reliable supply chain for essential resources. Additionally, the organization will prioritize continuous capacity building for Producer Directors, farmer members, and other stakeholders involved in the value chain.
By combining modern technology with farmer-centric operations, the Marathvarhad Milk Producer Organization aims to create a more sustainable, inclusive, and economically viable dairy ecosystem for women farmers in Maharashtra’s drought-affected regions.
