India. February 28, 2023: NDDB MRIDA LTD., a wholly owned subsidiary company of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) today signed an MoU with Sistema.bio, India’s leading biogas company, to work with smallholder dairy farmers of India and provide sustainable solutions in the area of waste to energy and open avenues of generating additional income. Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB & NDDB Mrida Ltd., and Piyush Sohani, MD, Sistema.bio India graced the occasion.
NDDB Mrida Ltd. and Sistema.bio will jointly work with dairy cooperatives, dairy federations, milk producer organisations, and other farmer- centric institutions to install modern flexi biogas plants for small and medium dairy farmers of India and disseminate knowledge about the same and about manure management and bioslurry applications as well.
Mr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB & NDDB Mrida Ltd. said, “We are extremely excited to join hands with Sistema.bio for promoting biogas plants and creating a value chain that will immensely contribute to enhancing the livelihoods of dairy farmers at the same time contribute towards the Swachh Bharat Mission and promotion of green energy. We have first-hand experience working with Sistema.bio while developing the well-known Zakariyapura Manure Management Model which is part of Gobardhan Scheme now.”
The primary objective of this partnership is to improve the socioeconomic stature of dairy farmers, particularly smallholder women dairy farmers, through the usage of biogas plants. Sistema.bio through carbon financing will provide affordable modern flexi biogas plants to dairy farmers in the NDDB’s rural network.
The plan is to reach out to more than 25,000 farmers with biogas plants this year, with a vision to serve 300,000 dairy farms in the near 2-3 years future. NDDB Mrida Ltd. will also promote the usage of bio-slurry produced directly or as an organic fertilizer through the sale of slurry-based products for agriculture in an enterprise mode.
Mr. Piyush Sohani, Managing Director of Sistema.bio India, speaking on the occasion said, “This partnership with NDDB Mrida Ltd. is a perfect synergy of the capabilities and focus of both organisations. We are confident that this initiative with NDDB Mrida Ltd. will successfully help promote organic manure leading to a reduction in the usage of chemical fertilizers as well as endorse clean cooking energy at the rural household level. Our technology has been approved by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. At present, 40,000 farmers use our biodigesters to create value from waste.”
