The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) is re-engaging itself to develop the edible oil co-operatives and fruit and vegetable (F&V) sector in the country on the lines of dairy co-operative model.

NDDB, which implemented the Operation Flood programme that helped the country achieve self sufficiency in milk production, now expects to play a key role in boosting the domestic oilseeds production such as sunflower and groundnuts, besides providing a forward linkage to co-operatives and the farmer producer companies focussed on F&V production.

Fodder seeds

NDDB Chairman, Meenesh Shah said the board’s expertise in propagating the fodder seeds will be used to enhance the production of sunflower seeds. The area under sunflower has been declining constantly for the lack of quality seeds and also the minimum support price was low. Now that the Government has increased the MSP, we will try to encourage the farmers to enhance the sunflower seed production, Shah said.

As a pilot, NDDB has recently partnered with the Karnataka Oilseeds Federation and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru to increase the production of hybrid sunflower seeds. NDDB will also look at replicating the initiative in other States like Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana, he said.

“These four States account for about 90-95 per cent of the sunflower production in the country. In Punjab and Haryana, the sunflower production quantity is limited, but yields are very high as compared to Karnataka,” he said.

In the 1980s, NDDB was instrumental in setting up edible oil co-operatives across the country. Now in the current context of flare up in global edible oil prices amidst supply shortages triggered by the Ukraine crisis, NDDB intends to re-engage with edible oil co-operatives to boost the domestic production. “We are committed to revive, strengthen edible oil co-operatives and also provide forward linkage through the Dhara brand of edible oil,” he said.

Also, as part of its efforts to use the milk value chain for other commodities, NDDB is involved with the Agriculture Ministry in boosting the production of honey and promoting the solar co-operative, Shah siad. In the F&V segment, NDDB’s subsidiary Mother Dairy has a presence in processing and providing the forward linkage to the farmers.

“Some village level co-operatives engaged in production of F&V in Gujarat are keen to partner with NDDB for processing of the produce and are also seeking support for organising the farmers. We have agreed to support them and formalities are going on,” Shah said. These co-operatives will start with the processing of potatoes and tomatoes and will add other vegetables like cauliflower, which are already growing in the area.

Similarly, in southern Gujarat, Mother Dairy has a fruit processing unit, where it sources directly from farmers. Mother Dairy’s tomato puree unit in Ranchi, Jharhkand has encouraged farmers to grow the processing variety of tomatoes in that region. Shah said the area under tomato is increasing in Jharkhand because of the assured purchases by Mother Dairy in the region.

Like the F&V co-operatives, NDDB is also getting interest from the FPOs in seeking support for the forward linkages. Shah said that though NDDB was keen to help co-operatives and FPOs set up processing units, these entities should start marketing the produce and establish the entire value chain on their own.

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