Rangeelo Rural Fest 2026 opens at BHU
The festival opened on September 20 at BHU’s Helipad Ground. Uttar Pradesh’s animal husbandry and dairy development minister, Dharampal Singh, called for greater use of scientific dairy practices, improvements in indigenous cattle breeds, better animal healthcare and transparent payments to farmers. He also referred to government support through financial assistance, veterinary services and livestock-protection measures.
Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, BHU’s vice-chancellor, said the university could work with NDDB on research and innovation in dairy services, milk production, technology, economics and management. He pointed to the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, which includes agriculture and veterinary sciences, as well as the university’s dairy farm at the Rajiv Gandhi South Campus. Chaturvedi said the festival would increase scientific awareness and benefit farmers.
Dhanlaxmi K, Uttar Pradesh’s milk commissioner, described dairying as important to rural livelihoods, employment, nutrition and women’s empowerment. She outlined measures under the Nand Baba Mission and the Uttar Pradesh Dairy Development and Investment Promotion Policy, 2022. The initiatives are intended to raise milk output, expand infrastructure and improve farmers’ incomes.
Meenesh Shah, chairman of NDDB and NDDB Dairy Services, said the organisations were working with the Uttar Pradesh government to revive and operate dairy plants in Varanasi, Kanpur, Kannauj, Gorakhpur and Ambedkar Nagar. He said NDDB would continue expanding dairy operations and creating sustainable income opportunities for farmers. Durga Shankar Mishra, a member of NDDB’s board of directors, highlighted work on milk procurement, animal breeding, nutrition and digital systems for more transparent farmer payments.
More than 50 stalls presented equipment, technologies and other products from across the dairy value chain. Displays included milling machines, digital thawing systems, smart weighing scales, robotic milking equipment, data-based dairy-management tools, artificial-insemination equipment, animal-nutrition products, herbal remedies and vaccines, including those aimed at preventing foot-and-mouth disease. Mother Dairy, Dhara, Safal and Parag participated alongside private companies and academic institutions.
BHU faculties and institutes exhibited silage, animal-nutrition products, chhena kheer, wheat, pulses and gram. The Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology presented Mahamana Prasadam, an FSSAI-licensed product developed at the university. A bull show featured Gir, Tharparkar, Sahiwal and Bhadawari cattle. The programme also included the second NDDB Merit Scholarship Awards for 2025–26. C P Devanand, managing director of NDDB Dairy Services, said the festival enabled participants from across India to learn about dairy technologies, innovations and research.
