In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah highlighted a remarkable transformation in Gujarat’s dairy sector: milk procurement has soared from 50 lakh litres per day in 2001–02 to 250 lakh litres per day in 2024–25, marking a fivefold increase . This growth is attributed to key government initiatives—namely the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF), and Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)—which have modernized infrastructure, enhanced breed improvement, and supported fodder development .
These interventions have also elevated dairy farmers’ earnings substantially. Over the last 15 years, procurement prices rose by 140%, climbing from ₹400 to ₹950 per kilogram of milk fat, improving both farmer incomes and cooperative chilling and collection capacity . Under NPDD alone, Gujarat received ₹315 crore in grants against a project outlay of ₹515 crore, leading to the installation of 2,052 bulk milk coolers, 4,309 automatic milk collection systems, and 1,000 milk adulteration detection machines .
Additionally, the strengthening of Amul’s cooperative framework—comprised of 15,740 functional dairy societies, 18 district unions, and over 36 lakh members—has enabled robust milk procurement, cementing Gujarat’s position as a leading milk-producing state .
Industry Insight
This surge reflects how targeted investment and infrastructure scaling can exponentially raise procurement volumes, enhance farmer livelihoods, and bolster supply chain resilience. The success of Gujarat—anchored by strong cooperatives like Amul—offers a powerful model for replication across other Indian states.
Source : Dairynews7x7 Aug 20th 2025 PTI