SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has registered 1,339 new dairy cooperative societies with 18,010 member farmers under the Centre’s nationwide campaign to expand the cooperative network, Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
In a written reply to an unstarred question, Shah said 25,552 new dairy cooperative societies with 9.09 lakh member farmers have been registered across the country so far under the National Plan for formation of new Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Dairy and Fishery Cooperative Societies aimed at ensuring cooperative coverage in every uncovered village and panchayat over five years.
The minister said the Ministry of Cooperation, in convergence with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, is implementing the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) to strengthen dairy cooperatives through improved milk procurement, testing, chilling, processing and value addition infrastructure.
For Jammu and Kashmir, two NPDD Component A projects were sanctioned during 2023-24 to 2025-26, with Rs 1.395 crore released for strengthening dairy cooperative infrastructure.
The Centre has also approved a separate project for the formation of 400 new dairy cooperative societies in Jammu and Kashmir under NPDD during 2025-26, with a total approved outlay of Rs 7.44 crore, including a Central share of Rs 5.85 crore. So far, Rs 2.88 crore has been released, Rs 1.40 crore utilised and 100 new societies have been formed against the target.
The reply further stated that the Union Territory substantially exceeded its target for strengthening existing dairy cooperative societies during 2024-25, strengthening 756 societies against a target of 33. During 2025-26, 32 societies were strengthened, matching the target.
Nationally, the Centre said 77 projects have been sanctioned in 29 States and Union Territories under NPDD during the last three years, with Rs 353.71 crore released. In addition, 25 projects have been approved in 25 States for establishing 11,689 new dairy cooperative societies, with a total outlay of Rs 193.03 crore, including a Central share of ₹103.23 crore.
The government said financial and technical assistance is also being provided for milk collection, cold chain infrastructure, processing, quality testing, value addition, marketing, digitisation and working capital through NPDD, the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund, the National Cooperative Development Corporation and other cooperative initiatives.
