BULLISH DAYS ARE HERE: SHG women of Chinnaudaippu engrossed in tending their cows at their dairy farm. Photo: K.Ganesan.

MADURAI: : The sleepy but arid Chinnaudaippu village located about 22 km from here near the airport is not what it was three years ago — it has undergone a tremendous change, fetching employment to more than 120 women and indirect employment to a large number of men.

The rural economy is apparently bullish and many are allured to tread the new path. The driving force behind the transformation is a band of successful women members of six self-help groups who have demonstrated that white revolution holds the key to improving the rural economy. None would have imagined that these women could make dairy a money spinning trade. They never looked for succour from the village or beyond save the subsidy they received from the Government for purchasing milch cows. And from then on it was sheer hard work.

It all started modestly with a group of 20 women coming together to rear cows about three years ago. They managed to obtain financial assistance from the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravida Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO) and bought the milch cows. Due to space constraint, they decided to rear the animals in their backyards but brought them to a common shed for milking. The milk was sold to a dealer in the city and the members received the payment per litre on a weekly basis.

The cows grew in number gradually and more women in the village evinced interest in taking up this newly introduced trade for two reasons. One, each cow provided at least six litres of milk per day fetching the owner about Rs.10.50 per litre on an average amounting to more than Rs.60. Secondly, it offered ample scope to take up farm-related activities in neighbouring villages or even attend to their domestic chores.

Soon one group multiplied to six and presently there are 120 women members. Encouraged by the sheer number of animals, the six groups formed a dairy farm among themselves with each member owning a cow and one to three calves that were born through artificial insemination. The six groups obtained financial assistance of Rs.2 lakhs with Rs.one lakh subsidy and repaid the loan amount promptly.

"Now we are assured of a daily income with which we support our families. We are even able to meet the educational costs of our children and grand children," says Chinnaponnu. The groups engage men to milk the cows and the milk is collected at the village by the Pechiamma dairy farm, Avaniapuram. They overcame the problem of feeding the animals by establishing a cattle feed shop.

The feed is purchased on behalf of the groups and sold to every member.

The Madurai Non-Formal Education Centre has networked all the six groups. Their total savings amount to nearly Rs.6 lakhs. Satisfied over their achievement, the women now plan to take up `peda' making. Smitten by their success, a group of men have now come forward to take up dairy farming in the village.

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