Dairy cooperative societies-Perceptions of milk producer members

Abstract

Data collected from milk producing members of 20 dairy cooperative societies in eastern Rajasthan reveal various bottlenecks in the functioning of these societies. Timings of supply of milk by the producers mainly affected women cooperative members, who ranked this as their main infrastructural concern; it meant they had to get up early in the morning on cold winter days to milk cows. The male members interviewed cited irregular and inadequate supply of cattle feed, non-availabiiity of emergency veterinary services, and infrequent visits of veterinary staff-tasks for which males took responsibility-as the prime infrastructural problems. Delay in payments and irregular bonus disbursement were the economic constraints ranked high by both male and female members, as was the poor conception rate in buffalo, which was cited as the top ranking technical constraint by both male and female respondents. On socio-psychological constraints, the prominent issues were perceived to be infrequent meetings of the society, and the perception that the cooperative was meant for influential people. Manipulation of testing of the fat content of milk and malpractices from the society to the chilling centre were the top ranking marketing constraints as encountered by male and female milk producer members.