From villages to dairy hubs: How Ananda Foundation is empowering Agra’s farmers and women

In the heart of villages in Agra, a quiet transformation is taking place. Fields that once mostly echoed only with the sound of cattle now hum with conversations about record-keeping, milk hygiene and also better animal care. Leading this change is the Ananda Foundation. It is the social development arm of Ananda Dairy that brings structured training and support to rural dairy farmers and women facilitators across the district.

Over the past year, the foundation has trained more than 5,000 dairy farmers across 50-plus villages, helping them learn modern dairy practices that can be applied easily in daily life. These sessions focus on everything from clean milking methods and balanced feeding to maintaining basic health records of animals.

Advertisement

But the effort doesn’t end at training sessions. At the core of this initiative is the Gram Sakhi model. It is a network of local women who act as community anchors. These women called Gram Sakhis are trained by the foundation to guide their fellow villagers on best of the practices in dairy farming. Then they go on to act as the first line of contact for farmers. They even help connect them with veterinarians, and encourage participation in awareness drives.

The foundation has also been actively improving access to animal healthcare through livestock health camps. These now cover over 10,000 animals every year. The camps are often the only source of veterinary care for many smallholder farmers.

Through these camps, cattle receive vaccination, deworming, and even check-ups while farmers gain essential advice on nutrition and disease prevention.

According to the foundation, these on-ground interventions are designed to build long-term resilience in the rural dairy ecosystem. “When farmers understand how to care for their animals and have someone in the village to guide them, the benefits multiply,” said a representative from the foundation. “It improves milk yield, reduces disease, and builds confidence among small producers.”

Ananda Foundation’s programmes align closely with Ananda Dairy’s broader network across Uttar Pradesh, complementing its commercial operations with social outreach.