Bhubaneswar: In a move that brought cheer to the dairy farming community, the Odisha Government credited ₹31.1 Crore as incentives to the bank accounts of dairy farmers across the State. Per official sources, approximately one lakh dairy farmers registered with OMFED (Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation Ltd) received the incentives through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

The incentive amount varied for each farmer, based on their milk contributions to OMFED between September 2024 and February 2025, officials said.

Typically, milk production in the State dips during this period. To financially support farmers during the lean season, OMFED earlier announced incentives ranging from ₹1 to ₹5 per litre of milk. During this time, the state government also extended financial support to the State-run dairy cooperative.

Currently, 11 district dairy cooperative societies operate across Odisha. Among them, the Cuttack district dairy cooperative society has the highest number of registered farmers at 33,000, followed by Balasore with 18,000. In contrast, Mayurbhanj district has the lowest number, with just 531 registered dairy farmers.

In terms of financial disbursement, the highest incentive—₹13 Crore—was credited to farmers under the Cuttack cooperative, followed by ₹5 Crore to Balasore. Other disbursements include:

Sambalpur: ₹4.37 Crore

Balangir-Kalahandi-Nuapada cluster: ₹2.62 Crore

Puri: ₹2.32 Crore

Mayurbhanj: ₹20 lakh (lowest)

OMFED Managing Director Vijay Amruta Kulange confirmed this incentive scheme for dairy farmers will continue next year as well, providing ongoing support to the sector.