Women dairy farmers honoured at Southern Dairy Summit 2025

The Indian Dairy Association, South Zone, celebrated the hard work and innovation of women dairy farmers on the final day of the Southern Dairy Summit 2025 here on Saturday. K. Venkatesh, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Sericulture, was the chief guest. 

The Best Woman Dairy Farmer 2024 was awarded State-wise to Naveena Kumari (Andhra Pradesh ), Mangalamma (Karnataka ), Vidhu Rajeev (Kerala and Lakshadweep), Pudhaari Gangavva (Telangana ), and Selvanayaki (Puducherry). 

The South Zone Dairy Summit 2026 will be held in Kerala, with dates and venue to be announced. 

Ms. Rajeev shared her journey from teacher to agripreneur. Returning to Kerala from Muscat, what began as her husband’s suggestion to keep goats and hens to entertain their children evolved into an integrated farm. In 2018, with two cows — a Jersey and an HF breed — producing 17 litres of milk, she decided to expand. By 2020, she had six cows, and her ambition grew steadily. Her innovative approach earned her the Kerala State Award for Best Integrated Farmer that same year.

Concerned about the environmental impact of cow dung and urine during Kerala’s heavy rains, she devised an underground channel that directs the waste to a well. “This system keeps the farm clean, eliminates odours, and prevents mosquitoes,” she explained, adding that cow dung is “black gold” which she began processing into manure mixed with crops like ginger and tapioca, selling it at ₹30 per kilogram initially and now at ₹40. “What we earn from milk and dung is reinvested into the farm. It’s a self-sustaining model,” she says.

Published - January 11, 2025 08:38 pm IST