Junagadh Amreli Kutch Bhavnagar Surendranagar Districts Milk Unions News Gujarat

Over 11 lakh liters of milk per day on the lines of the Amul movement by over 2,500 village level milk unions in Saurashtra are collecting and strengthening agricultural economy of the region.

These unions came into being with the efforts of the milk producers following the closure of the Gujarat Dairy Development Corporation (GDDC) in 1991.
These unions are linked to the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the apex milk marketing body in the cooperative sector through their respective district unions under a three-tier system. They are now giving a better price to the milkmen in Junagadh District, Amreli District, Kutch District, Bhavnagar District and Surendranagar district.

Ramsinhbhai Bhetariya, the chairman of Junagadh District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited (JDCMPUL) said in a statement that the milkmen were being paid between Rs 325 and 335 per kg of fat for the milk supplied by them. The milkmen were not getting fair prices for their milk after the union set up under GDDC shut down due to financial crisis, he said.

Bhetariya said though the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) started operations in the region after an agreement with the state government, the milkmen did not benefit much because NDDB functioned more like a private company. It was due to this reason that some of the leading milkmen came forward and set up the cooperative milk unions with their own effort. Now, there are 2,503 unions, of which 1,519 are registered, he added.

He said the milk collection will increase further as plans are being finalized to set up bulk chilling centers in Kutch. The milk unions, Bhetariya said, provide subsidised cattle feed, artificial insemination and veterinary services, besides others to the milkmen.