How arid Banaskantha keeps white revolution going

Mandakini Rathod, a resident of Palanpur in Gujarat used to teach in a local school but five years ago, she took the plunge and set up a small dairy business, borrowing R60,000 from her father.

Mandakini Rathod, a resident of Palanpur in Gujarat used to teach in a local school but five years ago, she took the plunge and set up a small dairy business, borrowing R60,000 from her father. Her business, which started with just two cows reared on two acres of rented land at Dhandha village in Banaskantha district, has since grown to have a cattle strength of 31 cows and buffaloes.

Rathod tells FE she sells around 200 litres of milk per day to the nearest village dairy cooperative society linked to North Gujarat-based Banaskantha District Co-operative Milk Producers Union, aka Banas dairy. She earns R40,000/month from the dairy. Thanks to people like Rathod and a robust milk cooperatives network, this dry district bordering Rajasthan has been India’s milk capital for around a decade and retains that slot. Read more…