Impact of Government Schemes on the Economic Development of Dairy Business: A Study of Hingoli District

Abstract

The dairy sector plays a significant role in strengthening rural livelihoods and supporting agricultural economies in India, particularly in regions where farming alone does not ensure stable income. Government-sponsored dairy development schemes aimed at improving cattle productivity, infrastructure, institutional support, and financial accessibility have emerged as important policy instruments for rural economic development. The present study examines the impact of such government schemes on the economic development of the dairy business in Hingoli district, based exclusively on secondary data sources. Hingoli district, characterized by an agrarian economy and a growing dependence on allied activities such as dairying, provides a suitable context for assessing the effectiveness of dairy-related government interventions. The study adopts a descriptive and analytical research design and relies on secondary data collected from government reports, livestock census records, district statistical abstracts, NABARD and NDDB publications, policy documents, and published research studies. Major dairy development schemes such as the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (DEDS), Maharashtra State Dairy Development Programme, and cattle purchase subsidy schemes form the analytical framework of the study.