Qila Raipur MLA and Founder of Macro Dairy Ventures Private Limited (MDVL) Jassi Khangura unveiled a first-of-its-kind Social Entrepreneurship project today at Qila Raipur, near Ludhiana. The project works to assist women entrepreneurs towards financial inclusion through owning cows that produce milk which is purchased by MDVL who provides their market linkage.
As a Social Entrepreneurship project, Macro Dairy’s business model is completely unique. MDVL will work with 3,200 women entrepreneurs, owning 16,000 cows which live in company owned and managed Community Dairy Units across the Qila Raipur area. The Unique Selling Proposition of the project is women empowerment and rural upliftment. Macro Dairy provides Community Dairy Units of between 2-8 acres are fully equipped with state of the art cow sheds, European milking parlours, 24 hour veterinary care, best quality fodder and women entrepreneur liaison teams.
This MDVL structure ensures women entrepreneurs, working in Self Help Groups of 5 women, receive the best milk yield possible from their animals, which turns into income for them. Full time MDVL staff ensure best milking, fodder and animal husbandry practices, whilst coordinators are on hand to ensure that self help groups function effectively and women entrepreneurs have someone to approach with any problems they face.
“The Project is also just entering into a partnership with UK registered charity LifeBuilder, which we hope will be able to raise seed money for women entrepreneurs to apply towards purchasing their animals,” added Khangura.
The key objective of the project is to improve the economic conditions of the marginal/landless farmer families, to provide animal housing in scientifically designed Community Dairy Units constructed by the company, and ensure supply of clean milk through hygienic procurement and transportation. The objectives for Farmer Entrepreneurs are better income (which is also regular) than that generated by wheat/paddy and better utilisation of land through multiple cropping systems with improvement in soil fertility.
