PM participates in Golden Jubilee celebration of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
“Golden Jubilee
Celebrations of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation is a landmark
occasion in its illustrious journey”
“Amul has become the symbol of the strength of the Pashupalaks of India”
“Amul is an example of how decisions taken with forward-thinking can sometimes
change the fate of future generations”
“The real backbone of India's dairy sector is Nari Shakti”
“Today our government is working on a multi-pronged strategy to increase the
economic power of women”
“We are working to eradicate Foot and Mouth disease by 2030”
“Government is focused on transforming farmers into energy producers and
fertilizer suppliers”
“Government is significantly expanding the scope of cooperation in the rural
economy”
“Cooperative movement is gaining momentum with the establishment of over 2 lakh
cooperative societies in more than 2 lakh villages across the country”
“Government stands with you in every way, and this is Modi's guarantee”
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi participated in the Golden Jubilee celebration of Gujarat
Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) at Narendra Modi Stadium in
Motera, Ahmedabad today. The Prime Minister took a walkthrough of the
exhibition showcased on the occasion and also unveiled the Golden Jubilee
Coffee Table Book. GCMMF is a testimony of the resilience of cooperatives,
their entrepreneurial spirit and the strong determination of farmers, which has
made Amul one of the strongest dairy brands in the world.
Addressing the
gathering, the Prime Minister congratulated everyone for the Golden Jubilee
celebration of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) and said
that a sapling that was planted 50 years ago by the farmers of Gujarat has
become a giant tree with branches all over the world. He did not forget to
acknowledge the contribution of ‘Pashu Dhan’ the animals in the white
revolution.
The Prime Minister
underlined that even though several brands emerged in India after independence,
there were none like Amul. “Amul has become the symbol of the strength of the
Pashupalaks of India”, the Prime Minister said, “Amul means trust, development,
public participation, empowerment of farmers and the technological advancements
through time.” Shri Modi remarked that Amul is the inspiration of Atmanirbhar
Bharat. Noting that Amul products are exported to more than 50 countries around
the world, the Prime Minister highlighted the organization's achievements and
mentioned more than 18,000 milk cooperative committees, a network of 36,000
farmers, processing of more than 3.5 crore litres of milk per day, and online
payments to livestock breeders worth more than Rs 200 crores. Modi
emphasized that the momentous work being done by this organisation of small
livestock breeders makes for the strengths of Amul and its co-operatives.
The Prime Minister
said that Amul is an example of the transformation that is brought about by
decisions taken with foresight. He recalled that the origins of Amul lay in
Kheda Milk Union under the guidance of Sardar Patel. With the expansion of
cooperatives in Gujarat, GCMMF came into being. He said, “It is a great example
of balance between cooperatives and government and such efforts have made us
the largest milk-producing nation of the world, employing 8 crore people.” He
informed that in the last 10 years, milk production increased by almost 60
percent and per capita milk availability has increased by about 40 percent. The
Indian dairy sector, he said, is growing by 6 percent per year as compared to
the global average of 2 percent.
The Prime Minister
underscored the centrality of women in the Rs 10 lakh crore dairy sector. He
said the turnover of the dairy sector, helmed by women upto 70 percent, is more
than the turnover of wheat, rice and sugarcane combined. “This Nari Shakti is
the real backbone of the dairy sector. Today, when India is moving ahead with
women-led development, the success of its dairy sector is a huge inspiration”,
he said. Underlining the criticality of improving the economic depth of women
in the journey of Viksit Bharat, the Prime Minister mentioned Mudra Yojana 70
percent of Rs 30 lakh crore assistance has been availed by women
entrepreneurs. Also, the number of women in Self Help Groups has crossed 10
crore and they have received more than 6 lakh crore worth of financial help.
Most of the 4 crore PM Awas houses are in the name of the women of the house.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the Namo Drone Didi Scheme where 15,000 SHGs
are being given drones and members are being given training.
Prime Minister Modi
expressed delight at the growing number of women in the dairy co-operative
committees of Gujarat and mentioned disbursing the income from dairy directly
into their bank accounts. The Prime Minister also praised the efforts of Amul
and mentioned setting up micro ATMs in villages to help livestock breeders
withdraw cash in the area. He also dwelled upon the schemes to provide Rupay
Kisan Credit Cards to pushupalaks and informed about the pilot project underway
in Panchpipla and Banaskantha.
Recalling Gandhi
Ji’s words that India resides in its villages, the Prime Minister underlined
the need to strengthen the rural economy. He pointed out that the previous
government had a fragmented view towards the rural economy, while the present
government is making progress by prioritizing every aspect of the village.
“Government focuses on making the lives of small farmers easier, expanding the
scope of animal husbandry, creating a healthy life for the livestock and
promoting fisheries and honey-bee keeping in the villages”, the Prime Minister
said, as he mentioned providing the benefit of Kisan Credit Cards to livestock
breeders and fish breeders. He also touched upon providing farmers with
modernized seeds that can cope with climate change. The Prime Minister also
mentioned the National Gokul Mission that aims to improve the dairy cattle
species. Throwing light on the government’s effort to curb the difficulties
faced by the cattle due to Foot and Mouth Disease and the huge losses incurred
to the cattle farmers worth thousands of crores of Rupees, the Prime Minister
informed about the initiation of a free vaccination program worth Rs 15,000
crores which has carried out more than 7 crore vaccinations so far. “We are
working to eradicate Foot and Mouth disease by 2030”, the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister
also mentioned the decision related to livestock in last night’s Cabinet
meeting. The Cabinet took a decision to amend the National Livestock Mission to
promote indigenous species. Financial assistance will be provided to use
non-arable land for fodder purposes. Insurance premiums for livestock
protection have been significantly reduced.
Prime Minister
underscored the critical importance of water conservation in Gujarat, stating,
He recounted the hardships witnessed during the drought in Saurashtra and
Kutch, where thousands of animals perished due to water scarcity. Prime
Minister Modi highlighted the transformative impact of the Narmada water
reaching these regions, stating, "The fate of such areas has changed after
the arrival of Narmada water." This intervention has brought about
significant improvements in the lives of the people and agricultural practices
in these regions. "We are striving to ensure that such challenges are not
encountered in the future," Prime Minister Modi affirmed, emphasizing the
government's proactive measures to address water scarcity and enhance rural
economies nationwide. "The construction of more than 60 Amrit Sarovar
reservoirs by the government has greatly benefited the rural economy of the
country", he said.
"Our endeavor
is to integrate small-scale farmers in villages with modern technology,"
Prime Minister Modi expressed, emphasizing the government's commitment to
empowering small farmers through technological advancements. "In Gujarat,
we have witnessed a manifold increase in the scope of micro-irrigation in
recent years," he noted, highlighting the government's efforts in
promoting efficient irrigation methods such as drip irrigation. Shri Modi
mentioned the establishment of lakhs of Kisan Samriddhi Kendras to provide
scientific solutions to farmers near their villages. Efforts are underway to
assist farmers in making organic fertilizers, with provisions being made for
their production, Prime Minister Modi said.
"Our
government is focused on transforming farmers into energy producers and
fertilizer suppliers", Prime Minister Modi affirmed, highlighting the
multifaceted approach of the government in uplifting rural economies. In
addition to providing solar pumps to farmers, assistance is being extended to
install small-scale solar plants on farm premises, Prime Minister Modi
elaborated, underscoring the government's commitment to sustainable energy
solutions in agriculture.
Furthermore, Prime
Minister Modi announced the implementation of a scheme to purchase cow dung
from livestock farmers under the Gobar Dhan Yojana, which will facilitate the
production of biogas for electricity generation. "The establishment of
biogas plants by Amul in Banaskantha is a significant step in this
direction," Prime Minister Modi highlighted, citing examples of successful
initiatives in the dairy sector.
"Our
government is significantly expanding the scope of cooperation in the rural
economy", Prime Minister Modi stated, emphasizing the government's
commitment to promoting cooperative societies as drivers of economic growth.
"For the first time, a separate Ministry of Cooperation has been
established at the central level," Prime Minister Modi pointed out.
"With the establishment of over two lakh cooperative societies in more
than two lakh villages across the country, the cooperative movement is gaining
momentum," Prime Minister Modi remarked. In sectors such as agriculture,
animal husbandry, and fisheries, these societies are being formed. "Our
government is encouraging cooperative societies in manufacturing through the
'Made in India' initiative," Prime Minister Modi affirmed, emphasizing the
government's support through tax incentives and funding. These cooperatives are
being encouraged to be part of Made-in-India manufacturing through tax
incentives. He further said that 10 thousand FPOs, out of which 8 thousand are
already functional, are big organizations of small farmers and have a “mission
of converting small farmers from producers to agri-entrepreneurs”, he said. He
informed that PACs, FPOs and other cooperative bodies are getting assistance
worth crores of rupees. He also mentioned a 1 lakh crore rupees fund for
agri-infrastructure.
The Prime Minister
talked about the record investment for Livestock infrastructure with a 30
thousand crore rupees fund. Dairy cooperatives are getting more rebate on
interest now, he said. The government is also spending thousands of crores of
rupees on the modernization of milk plants. Under this scheme, two big projects
of Sabarkantha Milk Union have been inaugurated today. It also includes a
modern plant producing 800 tonnes of animal fodder per day.
“I believe in Sabka
Prayas when I speak of Viksit Bharat”, the Prime Minister remarked. Noting that
Amul will complete 75 years when India reaches its 100th year of independence,
the Prime Minister highlighted the organization’s role in fulfilling the
nutritional needs of the rapidly increasing population. He expressed delight
that Amul has set a target of doubling the processing capacity of its plants in
the next 5 years. “Today Amul is the eighth largest dairy company in the world.
You have to make it the world's largest dairy company as soon as possible. The
government stands with you in every way, and this is Modi's guarantee”, the
Prime Minister concluded, conveying his best wishes on reaching the milestone
of 50 years.
Governor of
Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, Union
Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries of India,
Parshottam Rupala, and Chairman of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing
Federation, Shamal B Patel were present on the occasion among others. More than
1.25 lakh farmers were part of the celebrations.