**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 1580 in the Lok Sabha concerning the strengthening of cooperative dairies in Bihar. The Minister of Cooperation outlines several initiatives launched by the government to address challenges faced by small farmers and to improve storage, marketing, and cooperative dairy infrastructure across the country, including Bihar. The question was to be answered on December 9th, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Initiatives:**
* The government has launched several initiatives to address challenges faced by small and marginal farmers, including inadequate storage, limited market access, and the strengthening of cooperative dairies.
* The "World's Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector" was approved on May 31, 2023, and rolled out as a Pilot Project.
* **Grain Storage Plan:**
* This plan aims to create agri-infrastructure at PACS level including godowns, custom hiring centers, processing units, Fair Price Shops, and cold storage.
* It converges existing schemes such as AIF, AMI, SMAM, PMFME, and MIDH.
* **Benefits to Farmers:**
* The interventions reduce post-harvest losses, enhance storage capacity, and enable better price realization for farmers.
* PACS are being developed as multipurpose service centers to provide market linkages and value-addition support for crops like litchi.
* **State Government Scheme (Bihar):**
* Over 7,221 godowns with a storage capacity of 17.14 LMT have been constructed under a State Government Scheme of Bihar.
* **MIDH Scheme:**
* Assistance is provided for the creation of cold storage, ripening chambers, and processing units for horticultural crops such as litchi under the MIDH scheme.
* **PMFME Scheme:**
* Litchi is included under the One District One Product (ODOP) approach, providing support for formalizing micro-enterprises involved in processing litchi with technology, procurement, and marketing.
* **Dairy Cooperatives:**
* The government has approved a plan to establish new multipurpose PACS/dairy/fisheries cooperatives.
* 4,460 new Primary Dairy Cooperative Societies have been registered and 834 Dairy Cooperative Societies have been strengthened in Bihar since February 15, 2023.
* 12,112 Dairy Cooperative Societies have been registered by Bihar State Cooperative Milk Federation.
* **White Revolution 2.0:**
* The government is implementing a national-level initiative, “White Revolution 2.0”, through the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
* It aims to enhance milk procurement, processing, and distribution infrastructure to increase farmers' income, improve rural employment, and promote sustainable cooperative-based economic growth.
**Impact Analysis**
**Small and Marginal Farmers**
* **Impact:** Increased income, reduced post-harvest losses, better storage facilities, improved market access, and enhanced price realization for their products.
* **Action Required:** Engage with the PACS and government schemes to leverage available resources and support for their agricultural and dairy activities.
**Dairy Cooperatives in Bihar**
* **Impact:** Strengthening and expansion of their operations through government support, increased registration, and access to new technologies and infrastructure.
* **Action Required:** Utilize available schemes to enhance their infrastructure, improve efficiency, and expand their reach to cover more panchayats and villages.
**Bihar State Cooperative Milk Federation**
* **Impact:** Increased number of registered societies and enhanced capabilities for milk procurement, processing, and distribution.
* **Action Required:** Collaborate with NDDB and leverage "White Revolution 2.0" to enhance infrastructure and improve the overall dairy ecosystem in Bihar.
**Micro-Enterprises Processing Litchi**
* **Impact:** Access to support for formalization, technology adoption, procurement, and marketing under the PMFME scheme's ODOP approach.
* **Action Required:** Apply for support under the PMFME scheme and leverage the resources available to improve their operations and market presence.
Key Entities Referenced
World's Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector: A plan approved on 31.05.2023 to create agri infrastructure at PACS level through convergence of existing schemes.
Ministry of Cooperation: The primary ministry answering questions about cooperative dairies in Bihar.
Bihar: The state where cooperative dairies are being strengthened, and the focus of the question.
Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS): Local level, village-based cooperative credit societies that are being developed as multipurpose service centers.
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): A scheme that assists in the creation of cold storage, ripening chambers, and processing units for horticultural crops.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF COOPERATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1580
TO BE ANSWERED ON 9th DECEMBER, 2025
Strengthening of Cooperative Dairies in Bihar
†1580. Shri Tariq Anwar:
Will the Minister of COOPERATION (सहकारिता मंत्री) be pleased to state:
(a) whether any special scheme has been launched to address the problems of small farmers,
limited storage facilities, lack of marketing system for products like litchi and strengthening of
cooperative dairies in Bihar; and
(b) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF COOPERATION
सहकारिता मंत्री (SHRI AMIT SHAH)
(a) to (b): Yes, Sir. The Government has launched several initiatives to address the
challenges faced by small and marginal farmers, including issues of inadequate storage facilities,
limited market access for perishable products, and to strengthen cooperative dairies across the
country including Bihar.
The “World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector”, which was approved on
31.05.2023 has been rolled out as a Pilot Project, entails creation of various agri infrastructure at
PACS level, including godowns, custom hiring centers, processing units, Fair Price Shops, cold
storage, etc. through convergence of various existing schemes of the Government of India (GoI),
such as, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme
(AMI), Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), Pradhan Mantri Formalization of
Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME), Mission for Integrated Development of
Horticulture (MIDH), etc.
These interventions aim to directly benefit small and marginal farmers by reducing post-harvest
losses, enhancing storage capacity, and enabling better price realization. PACS are being
developed as multipurpose service centres to provide market linkages and value-addition
support, which can also benefit horticulture crops such as litchi.
Additionally, under State Government Scheme of Bihar over 7,221 godowns with storage
capacity of 17.14 LMT have also been constructed.
Further, under the MIDH scheme, which has been converged with World’s Largest Grain Storage
Plan, assistance is provided for the creation of cold storage, ripening chambers, and processing
units for horticultural crops such as litchi across the country including Bihar. This scheme helpsfarmers reduce post-harvest losses, improve shelf life, and access remunerative markets. Apart
from this, under PMFME scheme Litchi is included under the One District One Product (ODOP)
approach under which support is provided for the formalization of micro-enterprises involved in
processing of various products including litchi, helping them with technology, procurement, and
marketing.
To strengthen dairy cooperatives, the Government has approved the plan to establish new
multipurpose PACS/dairy/fisheries cooperatives, aiming to cover all panchayats and villages in
the country over the next five years. As per the National Cooperative Database, a total of 4,460
new Primary Dairy Cooperative Societies have been registered; and 834 Dairy Cooperative
Societies have been strengthened in the State of Bihar since the approval of the plan on
15.2.2023.
Apart from the above, a total of 12,112 Dairy Cooperative Societies have been registered by
Bihar State Cooperative Milk Federation in the State so far.
Further, the Government is implementing a national-level initiative, “White Revolution 2.0”
through the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to enhance milk procurement,
processing, and distribution infrastructure. These interventions aim to increase farmers’ income,
improve rural employment, and promote sustainable cooperative-based economic growth in all
States/ UTs including the State of Bihar.
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