Shah asks NDDB to take lead in establishing co-ops in panchayats

New Delhi: In a move aimed at giving a boost to cooperatives, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has asked the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to take a lead in establishing co-operatives in panchayats that have the potential.

While holding a meeting with board members of the NDDB, which owns Mother Dairy, a senior official said that the Union Minister, along with top officials of the Ministry of Cooperation, visited NDDB’s office in Delhi and discussed the future roadmap as well as various issues related to the dairy sector. In a statement, the ministry has stated that Shah appreciated NDDB’s initiatives in the Indian dairy sector and asked the dairy board to further strengthen co-operative dairying by playing a major role in establishing viable dairy cooperatives in uncovered panchayats/villages having potential for dairying.

As per the statement, the minister also highlighted the need for multi-commodity cooperatives, a common brand for the export of cooperatives’ produce, promotion of organic produce, better capacity utilisation of milk processing facilities by cooperation among co-operatives, self-reliance in manufacturing dairy machinery and export of indigenous dairy equipment though IDMC Ltd, a subsidiary of NDDB.

As per the statement, the NDDB chairman Meenesh Shah briefed the minister about India’s dairy sector, NDDB’s ‘Farmers First’ vision for undertaking all its initiatives following cooperative strategies, scientific dairy husbandry practices adopted by farmers.