Initiative aims to benefit over 8,000 smallholder dairy farmers across 140 villages in Ahilyanagar
MUMBAI: Building on its work with dairy farmers and partners to strengthen India’s rural economy and livestock ecosystem, Cargill today announced the launch of an Integrated Dairy Development Initiative in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district in partnership with Syngenta Foundation India and Digital Green India. The program was inaugurated in Mumbai Mantralaya today by Pankaja Munde, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Environment & Climate Change, Government of Maharashtra, Guest of Honour, N. Ramaswamy, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries, Government of Maharashtra along with partners and farmers joining on ground in Ahilyanagar.
With an investment of over Rs. 2.3 crores over the next two years as part of Cargill’s corporate social responsibility and sustainability efforts, the initiative will first be rolled out across Ahilyanagar district (before expanding to other districts) and aims to improve livestock health, dairy productivity, and farmer resilience for more than 3,000 farmers through Pashu Arogya Mitra (Mobile Veterinary Van) in 26 villages of Rahuri, Rahata and Shrirampur districts of Ahilyanagar. Additionally, initiative will also provide AI-powered digital advisory services, and farmer capability building for 5,000 farmers directly across 120 villages.
The initiative comes at a time when India is increasingly focused on strengthening livestock productivity, expanding veterinary access, accelerating digital agriculture adoption, and improving income resilience for dairy-dependent rural households. Animal husbandry continues to be one of the largest contributors to agricultural GDP and a critical source of supplementary income for millions of farmers across the country.
Speaking at the program launch, Pankaja Munde, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Environment & Climate Change, Government of Maharashtra said “Strengthening the rural economy and increasing farmers’ income is a key priority of the state government. Animal husbandry and dairying are important pillars of rural development and need to be better facilitated by effective use of technology, artificial intelligence-based guidance and accessible veterinary services. This joint initiative of Cargill, Syngenta Foundation India and Digital Green India will contribute to the modernization of the livestock sector, women empowerment and sustainable rural livelihoods. I am confident that this initiative will benefit thousands of dairy farmers across Maharashtra and will accelerate our goals of ‘Developed Maharashtra and Developed India”
Strengthening Last-Mile Veterinary Access Through Technology and Partnerships
At the center of the initiative are two Mobile Veterinary Vans deployed in partnership with Syngenta Foundation India, towards critical last-mile veterinary healthcare requirements in this region. Equipped with diagnostic tools, medicines, and vaccine cold-chain facilities, the vans will provide preventive care, reproductive services, vaccination, and routine animal health check-ups directly at farmers’ doorstep, to reduce possible treatment delays, improve preventive coverage and lower livestock mortality.
Complementing the veterinary intervention, Digital Green will conduct Livestock and Farm Management Training program to help build capacity of Dairy farmers, by training Pashu Sakhis and Para-vets as Master Trainers to deliver village-level training on animal nutrition, calf care, housing, hygiene, preventive healthcare, breeding, and dairy management. Digital Green will also introduce FarmerChat, an AI-powered, voice-enabled advisory platform that provides real-time guidance in local languages. Accessible through voice, text, and image-based queries, the platform will also help farmers navigate government livestock schemes, animal health services, input providers, and generic market options, helping reduce information gaps, enabling more timely and informed decision-making. To strengthen grassroot adoption and long-term ecosystem capacity, the program will train Master Trainers who will subsequently conduct village-level sessions for farmers.
Ravinder Balain, President, Cargill India & Senior Managing Director Cargill Animal Nutrition & Health, India, highlighted that, “India’s dairy sector plays a critical role in strengthening rural livelihoods, food security, and agricultural growth, particularly in Maharashtra where animal husbandry remains deeply connected to the rural economy. For Cargill, the state is a strategic market, and we have been working closely with dairy farmers here for several years through nutrition, animal healthcare, farmer education, and veterinary outreach programs. I am confident that this initiative will greatly benefit Dairy farmers in the state, leading to a stronger dairy ecosystem for India.”
Supporting Maharashtra’s Vision for a Modern Dairy Ecosystem
The initiative further strengthens Maharashtra’s vision of building a more resilient, technology-enabled, and productive dairy ecosystem. By directly addressing gaps in veterinary reach and farmer advisory systems, the program aims to support dairy productivity and help dairy-reliant household access to veterinary services and training. It also promotes women’s participation through the training of Pashu Sakhis and lays a foundation for scalable, digital‑plus‑service delivery models across other districts.
Ahilyanagar was strategically chosen for the program owing to its strong dependence on livestock and dairy-based livelihoods, coupled with the pressing need for accessible animal healthcare services in rural communities. The district has a significant livestock population and high dependence on Dairy Ecosystem but faces animal health challenges and needs more prompt veterinary services, and this program aims to help mitigate some of these challenges.
The program partners will work closely with the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DoAH&D) and State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) and local community institutions to ensure alignment with state livestock priorities and use AI-enabled tools to strengthen existing government extension systems.
“This partnership with Cargill represents a powerful blend of community-led extension and AI-enabled innovation. We are focusing on Maharashtra as our state of intervention because of the critical need for livestock support, its strong agricultural focus as an economic driver, and its progressive adoption of digital and AI technologies in line with Viksit Bharat. By equipping frontline agents and farmers with FarmerChat’s localized advisories, we’re creating a scalable model that puts actionable livestock intelligence where it’s needed most—at the village level. Together, we’re building pathways to improved productivity, resilience, and economic opportunity for dairy farmers”, said Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, Digital Green India.
Building Farmer Capability and Rural Livelihood Resilience
Over the project period, the two Mobile Veterinary Vans are expected to deliver animal healthcare services and reach farmers across Ahilyanagar. The program is designed to help reduce disease incidence through improved preventive care and drive measurable gains in dairy productivity. With improved knowledge and better access to veterinary care farmers participating in the program are projected to witness an increase in milk yield and annual income gains. In parallel, the livestock training program with the Syngenta Foundation will support farmers, strengthen the last‑mile extension network, and empower Master Trainers, pashu sakhis, and paravets, enhancing digital confidence among rural communities.
Commenting on the importance of strengthening last-mile service delivery and farmer outreach, Vikram Borade, CEO, Syngenta Foundation India (SFI), said: “Livestock is not just an asset for rural families, it is an important source of income security and household resilience. The encouraging initial success of the Pashu-Arogya Mitra Mobile Veterinary Van initiative in Ahilyanagar clearly demonstrates the potential to scale this model across Maharashtra and beyond. Together with Cargill, we will help strengthen veterinary healthcare, improving animal health and dairy productivity for sustainable income for farming community”
Building on Cargill’s Longstanding Presence in Maharashtra
The initiative builds on Cargill’s longstanding presence in Maharashtra through its Animal Nutrition & Health (ANH) business, which has been supporting the state’s dairy ecosystem since 2019 through dairy feed, animal healthcare, farmer capability building, and veterinary outreach programs.
Today, Cargill’s Dairy Feed business operates across key dairy districts including Ahilyanagar, Nashik, Pune, Satara, Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Sambhajinagar, reaching nearly 1,500 villages through nutrition solutions and scientific dairy management programs. By leveraging existing veterinary and para-veterinary network spanning 15 districts in Maharashtra, Cargill currently supports the health and nutrition management of nearly 60,000 animals and engages with approximately 45,000 dairy farmers annually through nearly 1,900 farmer outreach and capability-building programs.
