At a recent ICAR-led Kisan Mela on dairy development in Porba village, government advisors, scientists and dairy stakeholders outlined priorities for the sector, urging the adoption of scientific dairy practices, cooperative strengthening, value chain enhancement and better infrastructure. These discussions highlighted how targeted, research-backed interventions could both raise production and improve profitability for dairy farmers across the state.

A major constraint in Nagaland’s dairy landscape is the shortfall in milk production relative to demand, with broader animal husbandry data indicating the state produces less than half of its requirement for meat, milk and eggs combined — a shortfall that underscores the potential for dairy sector expansion if aligned with support systems and technical inputs.

Experts at the dairy sector roadmap session emphasised the need for breeding improvement, feed and nutrition management, and climate-resilient technologies, noting that Nagaland’s hilly terrain and climatic conditions require adaptive solutions for cattle and milk output. Strengthening market linkages and promoting value-added processing — such as chilled milk, yoghurt and cheese — were flagged as avenues to boost farmer incomes and reduce reliance on imports.