Madhya Pradesh will roll out the Gopal-Krishna Gram Award competition across its 208 Vrindavan Grams from October 27 to 31, offering a major incentive to boost indigenous milk production. Under the competition, livestock farmers rearing the highest-yielding cows will be honoured with cash prizes - Rs 1 lakh for the first position, Rs 50,000 for the second and Rs 25,000 for the third.

 

The contest is open to farmers from all categories. The objective is threefold: to increase milk output, raise the income of livestock farmers and conserve superior indigenous cattle breeds. The breeds in focus include Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Malvi and Niwari - all known for high climate resilience and milk yield. According to the Animal Husbandry Department, dedicated committees have been constituted at the block and district levels to ensure fair assessment and transparent conduct of the competition. The move comes close on the heels of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav’s review of the Mukhya Mantri Vrindavan Gram Yojana on October 16.

 

Officials informed the Chief Minister that milk committees have been formed in 129 villages while dairy union activities are operational in 70 villages. The State is also integrating all Vrindavan Grams with the Ksheer Sagar Yojana to strengthen village-level milk collection and cold-chain infrastructure. The Government plans to scale up the competition to all 313 development blocks of the state from 2027-28, making it the largest indigenous breed promotion drive in the State. Winners will be felicitated every year on Govardhan Puja, and the prize money can be utilised only for the purchase, conservation and promotion of 100 per cent indigenous cattle, ensuring the amount is reinvested into the desi cattle economy.