Women`s Dairy Cooperatives
The women thrift cooperators looking for ways to utilise excess funds conceived the idea of setting up Mulukanoor Women`s Cooperative Dairy (MWCD) to benefit a large number of cooperators. Sahavikasa rose to the occasion by helping them in setting up Women`s Dairy Cooperative and their Union.
In Mulukanoor area, a survey on the role family members in the maintenance of milch cattle and various factors that influence milk production has established the fact that women play a significant role in the maintenance of milk cattle was established. Sahavikasa planned 71 WDCs, of which 67 were promoted by 2001. The board of directors elected by the general body was familiarised with their roles and responsibilities, before the elections and registration of MWCD.
Training programme like artificial insemination of milch cattle for veterinary helpers are conducted regularly with the help of Guntur Dairy Union, training centre. After completion of training, reorientation and field experience were also provided. Sahavikasa is trying to collaborate with state Animal Husbandry Department for building the reporting and monitoring systems for the Mulukanoor Women`s Cooperative Dairy (MWCD) veterinary and cattle management services. On the other hand the milk producers are happy with measurement of milk & testing of its quality in their presence and with regular fortnightly payments of their bills.
To promote WDCs and expose potential members, women representatives, study visits were organised to Guntur Dairy Union, Kheda District Dairy union in Gujarat, AMUL plant, Sangam Dairy, Vishaka Dairy, Wanaparthy Chilling Centre, Jersy Creamline, Bangalore Dairy and Karimnagar Milk Union. The study visits helped them to gain first hand experience on the management of dairy cooperatives, understand the tasks of various divisions in the milk union, appointment of suitable staff and their role.
Mulukanoor Women`s Cooperative Dairy (MWCD)
With 8,000 women dairy farmers as members in 67 village-level milk producers cooperatives, the Mulukanoor Women`s Mutually Aided Milk Producers Cooperative, Union started functioning in mid August 2002. Initially, the milk collection was, on an average, 5,000 litres per day (LPD). In December, it became 15,000 LPD. In flush seasons for milk production, the new dairy faced quite a few problems in marketing of milk. MWCD has also been registered under the Macs Act.
The processing capacity of the dairy plant is 25,000 LPD, expandable to 50,000 LPD with marginal additional investment. The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) installed the plant, on turnkey basis providing the technical support in the construction of the dairy plant. In view of power cuts, sanction of permission for continuous electricity supply was obtained from the department of electricity. Effluent treatment plant to meet the full capacity of the dairy plant has also been erected.
The total cost of the project, at the union and village-level, is around Rs.3.5 crores. The Union borrowed Rs 3.5 crores from Sahavikasa. Even though the Project Feasibility Report envisages the repayment of loan, with interest, over a period of ten years, the members and the leaders of the Mulukanoor Women`s Cooperative Dairy would like to raise their financial stakes at an accelerated pace and pay back the loan ahead of the repayment schedule.
In our country, agriculture continues to be of great importance. Dairy farming is a part of agriculture. Dairy farming will come in handy to the rural community as and when floods or drought adversely affects crop cultivation. Stable income can be expected throughout the year from dairy farming for the people of limited resources and meager incomes.
In CDF fieldwork area, by the year 1999, women who joined a thrift cooperative (TC) at its start got the eligibility to take the loan upto Rs 10,000 from the TC. To utilise this loan facility for income generating activities, very few organised opportunities were available for them locally. Rural women shared this concern with CDF. Keeping the experience of rural women in informal dairy farming, CDF conducted a survey to know potential of milk available in Mulukanoor Area on Warangal-Siddipet Highway, in Narsampet Area on Warangal-Mehabubabad Highway, and in Wardhannapet Area on Warangal-Khammam Highway. It conducted a survey of milk consumption potential in Warangal City and other peripheral urban areas. Based on the favourable results of the surveys, CDF decided, initially, to assist women in Mulukanoor Area in promotion and development of a cooperative milk procuring, processing, and marketing system. It was also decided to extend this work, subsequently, to Narsampet Area and Wardhannapet Area.
To promote these women`s dairy cooperatives (WDCs) and their associations (AWDCs), CDF has set up the Dairy Cooperatives Network Division (DCND). With its assistance, women of Mulukanoor Area formed WDCs and their association. Aim of this milk marketing system is to enhance the economic and social standards of rural women by procuring, processing, and marketing quality milk and, in turn, giving reasonable rate to the milk producers.
CDF invested Rs 331 lakhs as fixed deposits in the Mulukanoor Women`s Cooperative Dairy for its establishment. After the completion of formation of WDCs and their AWDC and construction of the dairy plant, the responsibility of its management was handed over to the board of directors of the AWDC, Mulukanoor, in August 2002. The AWDC took Rs 185 lakhs from CDF as call deposits towards the working capital and repaid the total amount. Out of Rs 331 lakhs of fixed deposits, the dairy has repaid Rs 290 lakhs and on 31.03.2006 the outstanding fixed deposits amount with the dairy is Rs 41 lakhs. The AWDC, Mulukanoor, obtained an amount of Rs 168 lakhs towards the working capital from 18 associations of women`s thrift cooperatives (AWTCs) and 8 associations of men`s thrift cooperatives (AMTCs) of Swakrushi Movement and repaid Rs 166 lakhs to ATCs. As on 31.03.2006, Rs 2 lakhs of ATCs are still with Diary. This first all women cooperative dairy is now working with a milk union, 100 village level milk societies, and 10,000 milk producers.
While the construction of Mulukanoor Dairy was still in progress, CDF started planning to assist women in promotion and development of women`s dairy cooperatives in Wardhannapet Area and Narsampet Area, both of Warangal District. In the late 2004, the construction of the second all-women cooperative dairy was started in Illanda Village of Wardhannapet Area. As on 31.03.2006, 84 WDCs with 2040 members were formed. Wardhannapet Women`s Cooperative Dairy will start its milk procurement, processing and marketing in mid-2006.
CDF has conducted 9 training programmes to WDC residents to create awareness on swakrushi cooperative movement. 80 WDC presidents participated in these programmes. To create good understanding of milk societies among WDC functionaries, exposure visits were conducted to successful milk societies.
Land was purchased in Laknepally Village in Narsampet Area of Warangal District to start the construction of third all-women cooperative dairy in CDF fieldwork area.
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Various forms of cooperation have existed from the very beginnings of the human race, but it was the pioneers of Rochdale, England, who worked out their aims and purposes, and commited them to paper in 1844 in a form which identified nine specific rules.