A major initiative aimed at strengthening women-led rural livelihoods in Assam’s Barak Valley will soon take shape with the signing of an agreement between Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission and NDDB Dairy Services to establish women-owned milk producer organisations in the region.
The agreement will be signed in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and is expected to boost dairy-based livelihoods in the districts of Cachar, Hailakandi and Sribhumi.
The ?19-crore initiative aims to empower nearly 16,000 women across about 400 villages by creating structured dairy producer organisations owned and managed by rural women. The project also targets a daily milk procurement of around 38,000 litres once operations scale up.
Officials said the programme is expected to strengthen local dairy value chains, enhance income opportunities and promote women’s economic participation in the region, while contributing to the broader goal of sustainable rural development through cooperative and community-based institutions.