Anand: Union Home Affairs and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has laid out an ambitious plan to strengthen India’s cooperative sector, which aims to create 2 lakh Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) and ensure that all dairy equipment is produced domestically.

He made these statements during the diamond jubilee celebrations of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Anand, coinciding with the birth anniversary of AMUL founder Tribhuvandas Patel.

Emphasizing the importance of self-reliance, Shah said, “Milk is swadeshi, the milk producer is swadeshi and the milk buyer is swadeshi.” Then why should milk processing equipment be foreign? I am pleased to announce that all dairy equipment will now be manufactured in India.”

Reflecting on the legacy of Tribhuvandas Patel, Shah praised his passion for improving the lives of farmers. Although he received little recognition during his lifetime, his efforts have now brought prosperity to 5 million livestock breeders.

Shah also recalled former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s crucial visit to AMUL in 1964, which led to the creation of NDDB in 1965, transforming dairy cooperatives across the country.

During his speech, Shah expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for setting up the Ministry of Cooperation at the national level, fulfilling a long-standing demand. He noted that this move has been instrumental in expanding collaborative initiatives across India.

Referring to the NDDB report for 2022-23, Shah said, “NDDB sold over 427 lakh liters of milk per day with a revenue of Rs. 426 crores and net profit of around Rs. 50 crores. This reflects significant progress. NDDB has diversified into the processing of vegetables, fruits and potatoes, providing regular payments to farmers.”

At the event, Shah laid the foundation stone for new projects including a new NDDB office in Anand, a fruit and vegetable processing plant in Vadodara and IDMC Ltd’s polyfilm plant in Delhi. It has also launched two new products: Gir Ghee from Mother Dairy and Badri Ghee from Uttarakhand Cooperative Dairy Federation.

Shah highlighted the government’s plan to expand the scope of cooperation, saying, “We currently have 65,000 PACS and our goal is to increase this number to 2 lakh. Strengthening PACS will lead to the establishment of sound District Cooperative Banks and State Cooperative Banks. Our focus is on building a strong foundation of collaboration.”

India, Shah noted, is the world’s largest milk producer, producing 231 million tons of milk, ahead of the United States. However, only 1.5 million of the 8 million rural dairy families are part of the cooperative sector.

“Our goal is to unite all 8 million farmers into cooperatives, ensuring they receive a fair price for their efforts. NDDB must lead this charge to ensure a prosperous future for all milk producers,” he urged.