India to establish three new multi-state cooperative societies for dairy sector

INDIA – Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah has announced that India will establish three new multi-state cooperative societies for the cooperative dairy sector, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation).

The announcement was made during a meeting which reviewed and strategised the future of sustainability and circularity in the cooperative dairy sector.

The first society will focus on animal feed production, disease control and artificial insemination, the second will promote developing cow dung management models, and the third will promote circular use of dead cattle remains.

Addressing the meeting, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that as the country moves towards White Revolution 2.0, its goal should not only be to expand dairy cooperatives and make them efficient and effective, but also to create an ecosystem of dairy that is sustainable and promotes a circular economy.

“If farmers’ income is to be increased, we must create a network of integrated cooperatives where most of the work is done through cooperation and collaboration among cooperatives,” he stated.

To transformation from Sustainability to Circularity, he noted that there must be multi-dimensional, with the farmers’ cooperatives stepping up to provide services like technical assistance, feed supply, veterinary care, dung management, and milk processing, traditionally dominated by the private sector.

The meeting also stressed the importance of ensuring that the direct benefits of carbon credits reach farmers through scientific models, highlighting the need to strengthen milk unions, cooperative societies, and encourage food processing in dairy plants.

Shah said, “Cooperation is the backbone of rural development, and dairy cooperatives have proven to be a reliable source of livelihood for millions of rural families, particularly by providing access to stable markets, credit, veterinary services, and breeding support.”

Referring to successful models such as Amul, Shah stated that the Cooperation among Cooperatives initiative was playing a pivotal role in realising the government’s vision.

He noted that village-level cooperatives are being strengthened and integrated with allied sectors through collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Cooperation and other ministries.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar, Murlidhar Mohol, Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation Ashish Bhutani, Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Alka Upadhyaya, NDDB Chairman Dr. Meenesh Shah, and NABARD Chairman Shaji KV.

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