Incentives by Dairy Agencies to Smallholder Milk Producers: A Micro Study in 24 Parganas (N) District of West Bengal Chaudhary Uditaa, Kh Rishikanta Singha, Ghosh Manojb, Datta K. K.a aNational Dairy Research Institute, Karnal – 132 001, Haryana bNational Dairy Research Institute, Eastern Regional Station, Kalyani, Nadia-741 235, West Bengal Online published on 9 October, 2012. Abstract The status of dairying and activities of dairy agencies have been studied by collecting primary data from 200 dairy farmers of 24 Parganas (N) district of West Bengal. These dairy farmers belong to landless, marginal and small household categories with an average of 1.45 numbers of milch animals and milk productivity ranging from 4 to 5 litres per day. Income from dairying is the major source of their livelihood, as 90 per cent of the milk production is being sold in the market. The average income per household ranges from  85 for landless to 145 for small household category. Among the four milk collecting agencies (Gwala, Ichhamati, Pipli-2 and Red Cow) identified in the study area, Gwala has the least coverage with only 12 per cent of the total households, while Ichhamati Dairy Cooperatives Society has the maximum overage with more than 50 per cent of the total households surveyed. In terms of payment for milk, only Gwala is able to make advance payments to dairy farmers, while others agencies make payments at 5 to 15 days intervals. In terms of incentives and backward linkages provided to dairy farmers, Pipli-2 has been found to be the best, followed by Red Cow. Top Keywords Smallholder producers, dairy agencies, incentives and backward linkages, dairy sector, West Bengal. Top |