Tuesday 9 August 2011

Mother Dairy eyes Saurashtra-Kutch region


RAJKOT: Mother Dairy, with a collection of around six lakh litres a day from Saurashtra, is emerging as a competitor to Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which has a collection of 10 lakh litres a day from the region.

The Mother Dairy, run by Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Private Limited, a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), has been making its presence felt in Saurashtra and Kutch region and now it aims to procure milk from the entire Saurashtra and Kutch regions within the next two to three years.

According to M M Bhatt, General Manger, NDDB, Dairy Services (Gujarat Operation), Mother Dairy procures milk from 2100 villages and they will cover 500 more villages this year and it targets to cover about 4,400 villages in Saurashtra and Kutch region within the next three years from milk procurement.

"This year we plan to increase 25 % more milk procurement from the region and would expect to reach 6.5 lakh litres per day. We have installed bulk milk coolers at total 63 locations in Saurashtra and Kutch area and we are going to add 13 more Bulk Milk Coolers within the next few months to facilitate our milk procurement activity,'' Bhatt said.

"Initial milk procurement was 8,500 litres per day from 128 villages in the end of 2005. We have reached the peak of 6.8 lakh litres milk collection from 2100 villages in 2011,'' he added.

In year 2005, NDDB took over the dairy plants and cattle feed factory from Gujarat Dairy Development Corporation Ltd, which was established in 1973 and owned by state government with the objective to promote dairy development on co-operative lines in the underdeveloped areas of Saurashtra and Kutch.

NDDB refurbished and restarted the Junagadh dairy having capacity of 1 lakh ltr/day with a view to develop milk procurement and animal husbandry activities in Junagadh region. Thereafter, NDDB has restarted three chilling centres-Talala, Kutiyana, and Chalala.

According to Mother Dairy officials, at present, Mother Dairy's Junagadh and Madhapar dairy plants processes liquid milk in pouch packing for consumers of Saurashtra and Kutch and manufactures white butter, skimmed milk powder and ghee. Daily 3 lakh ltr of liquid milk and butter milk under "Mother Dairy" brand are supplied to cities of Saurashtar and Kutch.

"The Dairy activity is going to benefit to villagers as milk procurement price which was Rs 205 per kg fat rate has risen to present price of Rs 450 per kg fat rate. This year, we will be paying Rs 13.5 crores as price incentive to their milk producers. Mother Dairy has expanded the milk processing capacity of Junagadh Dairy and set up new milk powder plant having capacity of 30 MT per day in 2010,'' said officials.

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