INDIA - $5,250
Dairy Farming
Project Director - Mr. N. Raja Chidambaram

16 women from two self-help groups in Tiruchirapalli District, Tamil Nadu, are participating in this one-year project.

The women will receive a 3-day training on modern techniques in cattle management and disease control, followed by a 1-day motivational training. Each member will receive $315 as seed money, to be repaid at 12% annual interest. As the women are landless, they will enter into agreement with 50 farming women who are members of the self-help group so that ½ acre of waste land will be sowed in fodder. Each woman will care for that land through applying cow dung in exchange for grazing rights. Each cow will yield 10-12 liters per day, to be sold for $.30 per liter or about $3.50 per day. The first born calf will be given to a new beneficiary. If it is a male, it will be given to the farmer on whose land the cow grazes.

GROSS MONTHLY INCOME: $110

LOAN PAYMENT: $25

NET MONTHLY INCOME: $85

From R. Kannan’s site visit report, “AKM has a good, resourceful managing trustee, Mr. N. Raja Chidhambaram. The staff are well trained. They have good exposure in novel agriculture and allied activities like mint cultivation, organic farming and animal husbandry. All the beneficiaries have good knowledge about the proposed project.”

Project Completed: December 31, 2008