Sundarini’s organic dairy model wins global recognition

Kolkata: Sundarban-based milk cooperative Sundarini has launched a biogas project, using the slurry as organic fertiliser to cultivate native varieties of rice, pulses and mustard.

“The green grass and cattle feed produced from this organic fertiliser have ensured 100 per cent chemical-free milk and its marketing,” said Animal Resources Development (ARD) Minister Swapan Debnath in the state Assembly on Tuesday.

Debnath informed that Sundarini won a prestigious international award at the Third IDF Dairy Innovation Awards in Paris in November 2024 for innovative and sustainable farming practices. The cooperative stood out among 153 global entries.

Launched in 2015, Sundarini is the brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, aimed at empowering women in the Sunderbans. The cooperative adopts organic methods at every stage — from milk collection and transportation to processing and product manufacturing.

In August 2020, Sundarini received certification from a Gurgaon-based food analysis and research laboratory confirming that its organic cow milk is free from preservatives, adulterants and pesticides.

A cooperative under the ARD department, Sundarini comprises 5,000 women farmers in South 24-Parganas district. The union produces over 2,000 litres of milk daily and 250 kg of processed products. In 2023-24, it generated income of approximately Rs 4 crore for rural women.

Sold under the brand ‘Sundarini Naturals’, its products include traditional Bengali sweets, snacks, savouries, dahi, paneer, organic cow ghee and wild Sunderban honey.

Sundarini is now focused on expanding its operations by supporting bulk milk production and increasing the shelf life of its packaged products.

Special efforts are underway to promote the brand and its organic offerings pan-India.