Successful Woman Dairy Farmer Through Loan Assistance and Subsidy for Purchasing Milking Animals for Self-Employment
A Symbol of Women Empowerment: Shabana Sheikh Now Delivers 100 Liters of Milk Daily to Koba Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society
Surat, (Gujarat), [India]: With a mission to empower women in every field, the state government has been implementing various schemes to promote animal husbandry. Through financial assistance for purchasing more milking animals and subsidies for building stable infrastructure, traditional livestock farming has been modernized, leading to financial independence for women like Shabana Aslam Sheikh from Olpad Taluka’s Muslim community.
A native of Koba village, Shabana Sheikh received support under a dairy farm scheme to purchase 12 milking animals for self-employment. She now supplies 100 liters of milk daily to the nearby Koba Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society. Sharing her story, Shabana recalls that earlier, they had only two to three animals and couldn’t expand due to financial constraints. Later, her husband learned from the Olpad Taluka Animal Hospital about the government’s financial assistance and subsidy schemes for purchasing animals. They immediately applied online, and her application was approved in the year 2023-24.
She explained that with a loan of ₹9.80 lakh, she purchased 12 milking animals and now owns a total of 16. The government will cover the interest on the loan for five years. Additionally, she received ₹43,200 under the animal insurance scheme and ₹1.50 lakh for building a permanent stable. Under the power chaff cutter scheme, she also received ₹18,000 to purchase a machine, which has made feeding her animals easier and reduced fodder waste.
Initially, her stable was temporary. After benefiting from the scheme, she built a permanent structure, providing a stable and strong shelter for her animals.
It’s important to note that the state government provides 12% interest assistance for establishing dairy units with one to twenty milking animals at the village level. Additionally, the government covers 50% of the cost for constructing permanent stables, promoting livestock farming in rural areas.
