An Empirical Analysis of Dairy Cooperative Societies Performance in Salem District of Tamilnadu: Milk Producers’ Perspective

Abstract

The primary aim of this paper is to examine the SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) of Dairy co-operative societies in Salem district from co-operative members’ perspective This study was undertaken in Salem district of Tamil Nadu where milk marketing agencies viz., co-operative and private agencies are procuring milk from the rural producers and delivering dairy services viz. breeding, therapeutic, supply of inputs, preventive, extension and marketing services to their member producers as paid or subsidized service to their member producers. A total of 75 milk producers of Dairy co-operatives were randomly selected from five selected villages to represent five randomly selected blocks of Salem district. Majority of the milk producers were middle aged, illiterate with agriculture as primary occupation and experience of more than 10 years in dairying. The study also summarizes the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). The major strengths were the farmers are pouring milk to DCS traditionally; Dairying is a source of stable income and good commitment from the dairy development department. The major weakness was low procurement price for milk and non-accessibility of Dairy husbandry services (DHS). There are opportunities that breeding and therapeutic services could be delivered on cost-recovery basis and landless farmers could be motivated for sustainable dairying. The major threats faced by the DCSs were heavy competition from private players with respect to better service delivery network and tapping of remote areas for procuring milk. The study recommends Dairy development department to focus on the fourfold challenges viz., nominal milk procurement price, ensuring veterinary service delivery, infrastructure-support, and schemes congenial to milk producers and implementation area.