BLDE Educational Institution and Akshayakalpa Foundation are transforming dairy farming in Karnataka’s Vijayapura through the ‘Ksheera’ project, a scientific dairy development initiative that has significantly increased milk production, reduced fodder wastage, and improved farmers’ incomes.
The programme, launched in November 2025, aims to bridge the knowledge gap between traditional and scientific dairy farming practices. Backed by an investment of ₹2.5 crore over five years, the project is currently being implemented in 10 pilot villages, with plans for district-wide expansion.
Milk Production Rises by 50%
One of the beneficiaries, 35-year-old Parasappa Ganiger from Kumate village, reported a 50% increase in milk yield after adopting scientific feeding and cattle management practices learned during a two-day training programme.
Formerly employed as a physical education teacher at a private school, Parasappa has now shifted to dairy farming full-time after his dairy enterprise became significantly more profitable.
“I realised that many of our traditional practices were actually limiting milk production. Scientific management completely changed the way I run my dairy farm,” Parasappa said.
Another beneficiary, Darshan Kuchanur of Nidoni village, increased milk production from 40 litres to nearly 60 litres per day from his six cows after implementing the recommended practices.
Focus on Scientific Cattle Management
The ‘Ksheera’ project trains farmers in:
- Balanced and scientific cattle nutrition
- Efficient fodder management
- Animal health and welfare
- Sustainable dairy production
- Cost-effective dairy management
A major focus of the training is fodder optimisation. Instead of overfeeding cattle, farmers are taught to provide approximately 40 kg of nutritionally balanced fodder per animal per day, reducing wastage while improving productivity.
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According to farmers, the fodder saved through efficient feeding is sufficient to support additional animals, enabling them to expand their dairy businesses without proportionately increasing feed costs.
Building Rural Livelihoods
According to Basanagouda Patil, Chancellor of BLDE Deemed University, the initiative was launched after identifying that many dairy farmers lacked access to modern dairy management knowledge despite having good livestock resources.
The project collaborates with experts from Akshayakalpa Foundation, whose successful dairy development models in Tiptur, Tumakuru district, were adapted for farmers in Vijayapura. Local trainers received specialised instruction before conducting practical field-level training programmes.
A Model for Sustainable Dairy Growth
The success of the pilot programme has encouraged organisers to expand the initiative across more villages in Vijayapura district.
The project’s broader objective is to demonstrate that scientific dairy farming can become a profitable and sustainable livelihood, encouraging rural youth to view dairy entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to migration in search of urban employment.
By combining scientific knowledge with practical on-farm training, the ‘Ksheera’ initiative is emerging as a model for improving productivity, reducing production costs, and strengthening the long-term sustainability of India’s dairy sector.
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