Bulandshahr Pilot Project Buys Cow Urine At ₹10 Per Litre, Creates Rural Income Model In Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow, August 10: In line with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision of linking cow protection with the rural economy, women’s empowerment and organic farming, a new initiative has been launched. A pilot project for the procurement of cow urine has been started through a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) in Bulandshahr.

Cow urine is being purchased from farmers and livestock owners at the rate of ₹10 per litre. Following the success of the pilot project, preparations are underway to extend this model to other parts of the state. This will provide families rearing cattle with an additional source of income from cow urine, alongside milk.

The initiative, launched through an FPO under the leadership of Dr Praveen in Narsena village of Bulandshahr’s Syana tehsil, has brought 15 surrounding villages into the project.

Local collection centres have been established in these villages for collecting cow urine. At present, around 500 litres of cow urine is being collected every day through these centres. There are also plans to increase the procurement price to ₹20 per litre in the future.

Tanks with a capacity of 200 litres have been installed in villages for collecting cow urine. This means livestock owners do not have to travel far to sell the cow urine.

Arrangements have been made for its procurement and collection within the village itself. The availability of local collection facilities has made it easier to involve livestock owners, particularly women, in the initiative.

Rural women are playing an important role in the entire system. Women who assist in collecting cow urine in the villages are being paid a commission of ₹2 per litre. This has created a new avenue for women to earn additional income while staying in their villages.

Dr Praveen said, "The initiative has not been limited merely to the buying and selling of cow urine but has also been linked with women’s empowerment. The initiative was started with the participation of around 300 women, and all of them have been made shareholders. Thus, the women are not merely part of the collection system but are directly connected with the entire economic model."

The commission earned from cow urine collection is becoming a regular source of supplementary income for the women. As the initiative expands, more rural women are likely to be brought into the programme.

In particular, for women from cattle-rearing families, this can become a means of increasing household income while remaining at home and within the village.

The collected cow urine is being used to prepare products useful for agriculture. Various herbs are mixed with cow urine to prepare formulations for use in fields. These are subsequently supplied to farmers through cooperatives and local committees.

The model also aims to promote cow urine-based products as alternatives to chemical products used in agriculture.

On the one hand, it will increase the utilisation of products obtained from cattle, while on the other, it can promote natural and organic farming. With the finished products being sold through cooperatives and committees, a local market mechanism is also being developed for them.

Until now, income from cattle rearing in rural areas has largely depended on milk and dairy products. Through this initiative, efforts are being made to develop cow urine as an additional economic resource.

Procurement at ₹10 per litre can provide livestock owners with an additional source of income from their cattle. If the plan to increase the price to ₹20 per litre is successfully implemented, it could further increase the income of livestock owners.

Generating income from other cattle-based products in addition to milk can provide an economic foundation for cow protection. The establishment of a regular cow urine procurement system will also provide livestock owners with an additional incentive to take care of their cattle.

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Shyam Bihari Gupta, Chairman of the Go Seva Aayog, said,"The model launched in Bulandshahr is being viewed as an initiative that brings together cow protection, rural employment, women’s empowerment and organic/natural farming. Under the model, cow urine is collected in villages, women earn an income from the process, and agricultural products are prepared from the collected cow urine and taken to the market through cooperatives and committees. The entire process is completely chemical-free and helps promote crop growth."

Based on the experience gained from the pilot project, plans are underway to expand the model to other parts of the state. This will lead to the development of a network of cow urine collection centres across villages, creating an additional source of income for livestock owners while also helping make cow protection economically sustainable.