Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, praised a joint dairy initiative between the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Longding, and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), calling it a model for dairy-led rural transformation across the state.

Context

The initiative, titled 'SAHIWAL for SENUA', involves the distribution of Sahiwal cattle — a high-yielding indigenous breed — to rural families in Senua village, located in Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh. Longding is a remote district bordering Myanmar, where animal husbandry has long supported tribal livelihoods alongside subsistence agriculture.

CM Khandu described the scheme as going beyond simple cattle distribution, stating it is 'about creating a long-term ecosystem of self-reliance, cooperative growth, nutritional security, and economic empowerment for rural families.' He specifically noted that Senua village was chosen for its established tradition of cattle rearing and milk production, calling the selection 'a thoughtful and culturally rooted development approach.'

Policy Backdrop

The NDDB, founded in 1965, spearheaded India's White Revolution through Operation Flood, launched in 1970, which built village dairy cooperatives and a national milk grid, eventually making India the world's largest milk producer. Since the 1980s, the NDDB has sustained state-level partnerships for breed improvement and cooperative dairy models across India.

Northeastern states have historically been outside the core geography of Operation Flood, but ongoing centre-state programmes have progressively extended NDDB-supported dairy activity into tribal and remote regions. The Sahiwal breed, known for heat tolerance and milk yield, is increasingly favoured in such programmes for its suitability to local conditions.

Stakeholders and Impact

The direct beneficiaries are rural farming families in Senua village and the broader livestock-rearing community of Longding district. The scheme is designed to integrate improved cattle genetics with existing traditional rearing practices, aiming to raise milk productivity without displacing local knowledge.

CM Khandu framed the initiative within a wider goal of nutritional security and economic empowerment, suggesting the cooperative model could reduce dependence on subsistence farming and create a more organised dairy economy in one of Arunachal Pradesh's more remote frontier districts.

What's Next

The Chief Minister indicated that 'SAHIWAL for SENUA' has the potential to serve as a replicable model for other districts in Arunachal Pradesh. Attention will now turn to whether the state government allocates dedicated animal husbandry infrastructure funding in upcoming budget cycles and whether the NDDB partnership is extended to additional villages. If outcomes in Senua demonstrate measurable gains in household income and milk output, the scheme could anchor a broader dairy-led rural development strategy for the state's tribal frontier regions.