Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has urged the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to scale up its cow dung biogas generation models across 250 district dairy cooperatives within the next two years, as reported by ANI.
Addressing a workshop on sustainability and circularity in the dairy sector, Shah underscored the need to harness the full economic potential of dairy farming to ensure better farmer incomes and drive India’s second White Revolution.
Shah highlighted that sustainability and circularity should not be limited to cow dung-based biogas generation but must extend to all aspects of the dairy economy.
He stressed that the dairy sector plays a pivotal role in rural livelihoods, helping prevent farm migration while contributing to India’s $5 trillion economic goal and the vision of Viksit Bharat.
As part of this initiative, Shah unveiled new guidelines for sustainable dairy practices and announced fresh financing initiatives under NDDB and NABARD’s large-scale biogas projects. He also witnessed 15 state dairy cooperative unions signing agreements with NDDB to establish biogas plants aimed at fostering eco-friendly dairy practices.
Three Models for a Circular Dairy Economy
Shah identified three key cowdung-based biogas models that need widespread adoption, reported ET.
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Zakariyapura Model – A household-level biogas-based manure value chain, which benefits small farmers.
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Banaskantha Model – A large-scale dung-based biogas plant, producing compressed biogas (CBG) and organic fertilizer.
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Varanasi Model – A large-scale biogas plant generating steam and power to meet the energy demands of dairy processing units.
To further optimise biogas production, Shah urged NDDB to collect cowdung from farmers outside the cooperative sector, particularly those supplying milk to private dairy firms that lack biogas infrastructure.
With 16 crore tonnes of cowdung available in India annually, he emphasised the need to factor in both cooperative and non-cooperative farmers to enhance the viability and efficiency of biogas plants.
Apart from biogas expansion, Shah stressed the importance of developing a strong feed and fodder network through cooperatives to boost milk production and strengthen the dairy ecosystem.
He called for the domestic manufacturing of dairy processing machinery, urging NDDB to ensure that no dairy equipment is imported.
To create a comprehensive circular dairy economy, Shah recommended expanding organic manure markets, increasing dairy cooperative unions, and establishing processing units for by-products such as bones and leather.
He also proposed incorporating the circular economy principle into the Constitution of multi-purpose cooperative units.
