Food and beverage major, Danone on Friday said it is investing another €20 million to expand its specialised nutrition facility in Lalru in Punjab over the next four years. The company also said its launching a three-year program to train about 5,000 smallholder dairy farmers in Punjab with sustainable farming methods to increase milk yields, boost their incomes and improve cattle welfare.

In a statement, Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Danone said, “India is an important growth market for Danone. We are committed to building inclusive growth for all our farming partners and local manufacturing. This programme is in line with Danone’s longstanding support for our local farmer communities in India. At Danone, we have always believed that we cannot succeed without our farmer partners and must work closely with them to create shared value.”

The farmer development program will be delivered through a partnership with BAIF Development Research Foundation. It will focus on animal health, manure management, livestock management and community engagement.

Vikram Agarwal, Chief Operations Officer, Danone, said, “We source specialised nutrition grade milk from over 5,000 small dairy farmers across 100 villages near our Lalru plant. Our partnership is about expansion through inclusive growth and will be pivotal in supporting our farmer partners improve both yields and livelihoods while increasing volumes of high-quality milk available for Danone as we continue to invest in increased capacity at the plant. Together, we are driving mutual growth for a brighter future.”