In a major boost to women empowerment, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has planned to register 6 lakh women as members in dairy cooperative societies across the country.

“We have a plan to rope in 1.2 million (12 lakh) dairy farmers with various cooperatives and half of them would be women. We will ensure that the participation is not limited to the database but milk produced at their dairies actually reaches at the dairy cooperatives.

It will help meet future providing milk requirement,” said NDDB chairperson T Nanda Kumar, who was here to chair a seminar ‘Dairy sector: The key player for nutritional security in India’.

“In villages, it is women who care for, feed and milk the animals. However, in most instances, their contribution never gets highlighted. Raising their participation is essential to the long-term strength of the dairy cooperative movement,” he said.

Kumar said a planned dairy sector had a potential for poverty alleviation and ensuring nutrition by producing safe milk. “However, sustainability of the growth of this sector is very important. Besides, we have to look very cautiously about breeding policy, animal health care and feed and fodder availability for animals,” he said.