Barmer, 31 August, 2020.

The district of Barmer in Rajasthan gained prominence after the discovery of crude oil. The region witnessed increased economic activities and became ripe with business opportunities. Dairy farmers took this opportunity of riding the developmental drive and making milk production a source of steady and robust income, while catering to the needs of local community.

However, the ongoing Covid-19 crisis that has affected all sectors alike posed a threat to the farmers. Agriculture industry faced severe challenges such as shortage of labor and disrupted supply-chain/logistics. The situation was similar for the dairy farmers of Barmer district in Rajasthan who lost a source of income in this pandemic due to the lockdown. Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Ltd., the largest private sector oil and gas exploration and production company in India, initiated Dairy Development Project – MaruSagar to help farmers recover business during the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Cairn’s initiatives around dairy farmers in  Barmer was initiated in 2007 with an aim to add value to farmers’ livelihood by increasing procurement for the cooperatives. The project operates in Barmer to generate income and increase community engagement in the region. It began in 2 villages with 140 farmers in Gudamalani with 4500 registered farmers, 46 milk collection centers with 14 Bulk milk coolers established to increase total milk production to 17,500 ltrs per day, ensure better return to farmers, enhancing productivity through training and veterinary care. The project highlights Cairn’s commitment towards creating shared value and increasing overall well being and quality of life of local communities.

Speaking about the project, Hanuman Choudhary, Program Coordinator, SURE (Society to Uplift Rural Economy)said, “The dairy development and animal husbandry project by Cairn Vedanta Foundation and SURE Barmer has proved to be a boon for rural dairy farmers in the region. Under the project, 16,250 liters of milk is being collected from 46 villages, tested for quality and purity and supplied to government run dairies every day. In addition, farmers receive education on improving cattle feed and cattle health and a free mobile veterinary health van is being run for their benefit. This project has transformed the lives of dairy farmers in the Thar by creating a source of economic prosperity and steady income.”

Till date, the project has benefitted the people of Barmer as regular activities of milk collection were carried out across 46 intervention villages, generating a cumulative sale of 2.7 Cr litres of milk generating a revenue of INR 82 Cr. .~1,318 Cattle and 82 families have benefited respectively from MVV and one-stop solution shop set up under the project this year. Under this project, self-help groups were able to increase their savings by INR 11,500 during the pandemic that adversely affected agricultural activities.