Greater Noida(UP), Sep 13: India’s Dairy Sector can become a business model for farmers of many poor countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said appreciating the uniqueness of the national Dairy Co-operative System. He addressed the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS) 2022, organized at India Expo Centre and Mart here in Uttar Pradesh. “The potential of Dairy Sector not only strengthens our rural economy but also is a primary source of livelihood for crores of people.
“Today, eight crore families are getting employment from this sector in India. The driving force of the Dairy Sector in our country are the small farmers with one, two or three animals only,” he said. Citing several specialties of the Dairy Sector in the country, the Prime Minister said that India’s dairy sector is recognized for production by masses rather than mass production.
“Another feature of our Dairy Sector is the Dairy Cooperative System of India. There is such a vast network of dairy cooperatives in India, whose example is rare in the world. “These dairy cooperatives collect milk twice a day from about two crore farmers in more than two lakh villages and deliver it to the customers. There is no middle- man in the process,” the Prime Minister said. Modi said that more than 70 percent of the money that is received from the customers goes directly into the pockets of the farmers. No other country has this ratio in the whole world, the Prime Minister added.
He also underlined the efficiency of the digital system of payment in the dairy sector and said that it has many lessons for other countries. Another unique feature, according to the Prime Minister, is the indigenous breeds that can withstand adverse circumstances. He gave the example of the sturdy buffalo breed of Banni Buffalo of the Kutch region of Gujarat. The Prime Minister pointed out that women have a 70 percent representation in the workforce in India’s dairy sector.
