MCM’s engagement in the dairy sector, with promotion of women producers organizations in the rural area started in 1999, continued and expanded in new areas with linking women producers with the markets. This includes mobilization of women into village level women’s dairy co-operatives and SHG members training, setting up of infrastructure of chilling centres for collection, chilling and transport of milk of these small producers and supply to markets.

MCM has infrastructure to support mushroom production with spawn production, training, marketing linkage. Supports other businesses, small trade, services promotion.

Dairy

MCM’s engagement in the dairy sector with promotion of women producers organizations in the rural area started in 1999 continued and expanded in new areas with linking women producers with the markets after their mobilization into village level women’s dairy co-operatives. SHGs, their training, setting up of infrastructure for collection and transport of milk of these small producers and chilling and supply to markets.

The dairy initiative of MCM is operational in four locations – (i) Badi-Bareli in Raisen with milk chilling and collection centre at Bareli, (ii) Obeidullaganj block in Raisen with milk collection centre at Barkheda Pathani, (iii) villages of Shahpur, Ghoda Dongri blocks of Betul district and other villages in adjoining area with milk chilling and collection centre at Bhoura in block Shahpur and (iv) Bijawar, Isanagar and Rajnagar blocks of Chhatarpur and other adjoining villages with milk chilling and collection centre at Bagota Chhatarpur.

Women’s Dairy Cooperatives and SHGs involved in dairy activities have become operationally efficient and financially viable units. MCM has replicated the dairy project in the tribal district of Betul in February 2005. A chilling centre was commissioned at Bhoura of Shahpur block of this district. The initiative also focuses on capacity building of office bearers, community leaders and members of milk societies. Besides the marketing support, Mahila Chetna Manch provides regular technical inputs and training support to women SHG members.

In the Badi-Bareli area where the work was initially started in 1999 under the STEP project supported by Women and Child Development Department in Government of India, the work has been continued and expanded by MCM engaged not only in training, supervising, collecting and chilling of milk and its marketing but also by extending support of micro-finance.

Mahila Chetna Manch commissioned a Milk Chilling Centre at Bagota in Chhatarpur district headquarters in December 2005. Loan assistance was also provided to women milk producers for purchase of high breed cattle. The milk marketing is linked to Cooperative Milk Union at Bhopal for producers of Bareli (Raisen), Obaidullaganj (Raisen) and Bhoura (Betul) centres. The linkage of Chhatarpur is started with Cooperative Milk Union, Jabalpur and is now with a unit in Industrial Area Malanpur near Gwalior.

Mushroom production, training and marketing

MCM has set up a mushroom laboratory at Bhopal to produce spawn for supply to producers, support training of interested producers in mushroom production and help in marketing.