Linkage Pattern among Actors of Milk Production Innovation System in Coastal Saline Soil Zone of West Bengal (India)

The coastal saline soil zone is situated in the southern part of West Bengal, a prominent eastern state in India in terms of agricultural activity. Milk market innovation system analysis can help understand the lacunae of information flow in the system, as well as to understand the linkage pattern among the actors of innovation system. The dairy farmers of the coastal saline soil zone got good information support from private milk collection agent and veterinary doctor. The role of the extension agents should be more proactive in disseminating important information related to dairy farming, as well as milk marketing. The major constraints of milk marketing, as perceived by the dairy farmers in the zone, were the lack of regulated markets and cooperatives, lack of market facilities, unawareness of clean milk production and lack of finance.