Anand: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah today stated that the goal of the cooperative sector is to create 2 lakh primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACs) and that dairy equipment shall also be made in India. Shah made this statement during the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of NDDB in Anand and the birth anniversary of Tribhuvandas Patel, the founder of the AMUL cooperative.

“I have said that the milk is ‘swadeshi,’ the milk producer is ‘swadeshi,’ and the milk buyer is ‘swadeshi.’ So why is the machinery for milk processing foreign? I am pleased that all the equipment and plants of the dairy will be made in India,” Shah added.

Speaking about Tribhuvandas Ji Patel, Shah remarked that after dedicating his entire life to his work, he did not receive any name or recognition at that time. However, today the results of his efforts are evident, as 5 crore stockbreeders are on the path to happiness and comfort.

Recalling former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s visit to Amul, Shah stated, “Many people come to see, but only great individuals try to take things forward after witnessing them. Lal Bahadur Shastri visited the Amul Dairy in 1964 and decided that the whole country would benefit from this idea and concept. He resolved that NDDB should be formed, leading to its establishment in 1965. In 60 years, NDDB has transformed cooperatives across India, strengthening stockbreeders and those involved in milk production.”

Shah noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the of Cooperation Ministry at national-level something that had been demanded for 70 years. “It is my privilege to be the first Cooperation Minister,” he said.

Shah stated, “I reflected on the journey of NDDB. When Shastri ji decided to set up NDDB in 1965, neither he nor Tribhuvandas could have imagined that this seed would grow into such a huge banyan tree. I reviewed the 2022-23 report from NDDB, which indicated that it sold over 427 lakh liters of milk per day and produced 579 kilograms of milk. The revenue reached Rs. 426 crore, with a net profit of around Rs. 50 crore. This demonstrates the significant development happening at NDDB. I once attended a board meeting of NDDB and urged them not to limit themselves to milk only but to expand. It is heartening to know that NDDB has ventured into processing vegetables, fruits, and potatoes, and farmers are receiving checks for this today.”

During the event, Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for several projects, including a new NDDB office building in Anand, Mother Dairy’s Fruit & Vegetable Processing Plant in Itola, Vadodara, and IDMC Ltd’s Polyfilm Plant in Narela, Delhi. He also launched Gir Ghee from Mother Dairy and Badri Ghee from the Uttarakhand Cooperative Dairy Federation.

“The Cooperative Ministry has established three national-level cooperatives: one for the conservation and promotion of pure and sweet seeds, another for marketing organic produce under the ‘Bharat’ brand in global markets, and a third for exporting cooperative products.”

Shah noted, “In our cooperative structure, we have 22 state-level unions, 231 district unions, 28 marketing dairies, and 21 milk-producing companies. We plan to create 2 lakh new cooperatives that will advance our structure. Currently, we have 65,000 primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS), and we aim to increase this number to 2 lakh. If PACS are strong, district cooperative banks will also be robust. A strong DCB will lead to strong state cooperative banks. The fundamental task is to establish primary cooperatives.”

“India is currently the largest milk producer in the world. With a production of 231 million tons, India has surpassed the US to claim the top position. With a growth rate of 6 percent compared to the global average of 2 percent, this trend is sustainable. Right now, 8 crore rural families produce milk daily, but only 1.5 crore are part of the cooperative sector. This means that the remaining 6.5 crore families are being exploited and not receiving fair prices. Often, they have to discard milk,” Shah explained.

He emphasized the importance of ensuring that all 8 crore farmers receive the full value of their efforts through the cooperative sector, urging the NDDB to move forward in this direction. DehsGujarat