Cooperative dairy sector has fulfilled multidimensional goals: Amit Shah

GANDHINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that the cooperative dairy sector in our country has fulfilled multidimensional goals.

"The cooperative dairy sector in our country has fulfilled multidimensional goals. If the cooperative sector is not in place, then the milk business is limited to the milk producer, a middleman, and the milk consumer. However, if the cooperative sector is in the milk business and functions cooperatively, many factors come together," Shah said while addressing the foundation laying event of the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI) office building, in Gandhinagar.

Amit Shah said that since the motive of the cooperative dairy sector is not to gain profits it leads to multidimensional benefits for a large section of people.

"Since the motive is not to gain profits, it leads to multidimensional benefits for society, farmers, villages, milk producers and the country at large. India has been a witness to this success story in the last 50 years," the Union Minister said.

Amit Shah said that milk producers benefit the most when they are part of the cooperative sector, as they are not subject to oppression

"When the cooperative sector is in the dairy business, milk producers benefit the most because they are not subject to oppression. If there is only one milk producer, he has no resources to store the milk he produces, and hence he cannot explore the market," Amit Shah explained.

The Union Minister said that when a cooperative dairy sector is in place, milk producers can take advantage of facilities like cold storage, processing and will have the ability to convert milk based on the demand in the market. Moreover, he said that the profit reaped is distributed to the milk producers on a cooperative basis.

"But if he is involved in the cooperative sector, milk is collected at the village level and the district level...When this happens, facilities like cold storage, processing, ability to convert milk based on the demand in the market and then collect profit based on the market and distribute it to the milk producer on a cooperative basis. This puts an end to the oppression of milk producers," Shah said.

"Amul-like federation is now present in every state of the country and is being run successfully," he added.

Amit Shah also said that a milk producer cannot take care of his animals alone but when he is part of a cooperative, he also finds himself positioned in a district-level organisation of milk producers, which allows them to take care of their animals collectively.

"A lone milk producer cannot take care of his animals individually. But if a district-level organization is formed by the milk producers in the cooperative, it will ensure proper care of the animals and will even take care of animal feed, leading to healthy livestock," Shah said.