Speaking at an event marking the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Anand-based National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India Limited (NCDFI), Shah said: “In Gujarat, there are 19,000 cooperative societies of which 18,000 are functional. Uttar Pradesh has 16,000 cooperative societies of which only 7,000 are operational. A big state like Uttar Pradesh can produce enough milk for the whole country. In such a state, all possibilities are yet to be explored.

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“I want to ask the NCDFI to map all the possibilities (for milk production) and discover the obstacles in each state. We have to do it, keeping state governments together. If a dairy cooperative goes bankrupt, a second cannot be created… We must change the law to allow the creation of new cooperatives where the existing ones become dysfunctional. Alumni can be liquidated under bankruptcy principles,” he said at the event held at the National University of Forensic Science (NFSU).

Union Minister of State for Cooperation BL Verma, NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah and RBI Director Satish Marathe were present.

Shah pointed out that despite good water availability and fertile soil, the milk production potential in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar is yet to be tapped. “Small issues have created obstacles in these states,” he said.

मगंंं ोऑपोऑपोऑपटशव ोऑपडयडीी ऑफफडडशऑफ ​​ऑफऑफययय (NCDFI) के ोहोह ोोोोहोह कोतंबोधत कोतंबोध कतततहुए. નેશનલ ડેરી ડેરી ડેરી ઓફ ઓફ (NCDFI) ની જયંતિ ઉજવણી ઉજવણી પ્રસંગે સંબોધન. https://t.co/ipKKrSTNbX

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 10, 2022

Asking the NCDFI to come up with a plan to target increased exports of milk and dairy products, Shah said, “If milk production increases, we need to sell it around the world at competitive prices. Right now we have banned milk imports, so milk prices can easily be raised. But when we enter global markets, there will be competition and production costs will have to be lowered. »

The headquarters of NCDFI is in Anand and it was established for the purpose of coordinating, assisting, developing and facilitating the work of dairy and oilseed producers’ cooperatives and affiliated organizations that deal in commodities .

The Union minister said developing breeds of cattle with higher milk yield, obtaining additional income from cow dung, lowering milk processing and cattle feed costs can help reduce milk production costs in India.

Digitize PACS

Shah said that by the end of December, his ministry will launch a pilot project to digitize Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) in the country. “In order to digitize all 65,000 PACS at a cost of Rs 350 crore, the software used for the PACs will be used for District Banks, State Cooperative Banks and NABARD. The whole system will be online and become transparent. By December of this year, we will launch pilot projects in multiple states all at once. It’s a big project,” said the Minister.

Shah also recounted how, at 19, he first challenged the polls for the PACS. “I first became a cooperative worker and only later entered politics,” he said.

Ram Navami

Calling on young people to study the life of Lord Ram, Shah said: “I am not making this suggestion for religious reasons. If there is an ideal example of how to lead a life incorporating the best of human values, there is none better than Lord Ram.

Wishing the audience on the occasion of Ram Navami, Shah said that Lord Ram was an ideal son, husband and king. “Lord Ram’s life should not be read as a story. Ramayan has good governance, management, defense and economy,” he added.

Agreement to promote organic fertilizers from organic manure

On Sunday, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) signed a memorandum of understanding with state-owned Gujarat State Fertilizer Chemicals Ltd (GSFC) to promote organic fertilizers made from bio-slurry produced from cattle dung .

In accordance with the agreement signed in the presence of Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, the two organizations will work together to provide business linkages for organic manure-based organic fertilizers, conduct joint research and development, set protocols for quality and use relevant resources to strengthen the initiative.

This collaboration will also cover NDDB’s unique initiative to install a biogas plant in Varanasi to meet the electrical and thermal needs of a dairy plant. The deal will help establish business ties with organic manure-based fertilizers produced from this plant, the cornerstone of which was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few months ago.

Under the second phase of the Swachh Bharat mission, Rs 50 lakh has been provisioned for each district for the installation of biogas plants and efficient management of the bio-slurry produced from them. The government of Gujarat will set up a biogas cluster covering 2 to 5 villages of about 200 households. These poles will also have an organic fertilizer production unit.

On Sunday, the government of Gujarat handed over the first tranche of funds for this program to NDDB.