Shah releases SOP for White Revolution 2.0

Union Home Minister and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated several farmer welfare schemes worth Rs 300 crore during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The event also celebrated the birth anniversary of Shri Tribhuvandas Patel in Anand, Gujarat in the presence of Union Minister Rajeev Ranjan Singh.

In his address, Shah highlighted the launch of White Revolution Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) 2.0 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to empower one million new and existing dairies.

He spoke about the role of the cooperative sector in expanding milk routes and benefiting dairy farmers. Special emphasis was placed on Tribhuvandas Patel’s life dedicated to the upliftment of farmers, especially his efforts to organize millions of farmers into cooperatives who are now collectively running businesses worth thousands of crores.

Shah narrated how former Prime Minister Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, inspired by the success of Amul Dairy, laid the foundation of NDDB in 1964 to benefit livestock owners across the country. Over the last 60 years, NDDB has played a key role in empowering farmers and creating awareness about their rights. Cooperative livestock farming has helped solve the problem of malnutrition, empowered women, and fostered strong, healthy citizens.

NDDB’s contribution to rural and agricultural development and its role in ensuring agricultural self-sufficiency were highlighted. NDDB, founded by Tribhuvandas Patel, grew into an internationally recognized organization and its Operation Flood program from 1970 to 1996 ushered in the White Revolution.

Amul’s current Rs 60,000 crore business was built on women’s equity and now NDDB processes 427 lakh liters of milk daily and has a procurement volume of 589 lakh liters, which is a testament to its remarkable growth.

Apart from dairy operations, NDDB has started vegetable processing under a cooperative model, ensuring that profits are shared among the general public. Shah highlighted the Gobardhan program, which converts cow dung into gas and fertilizers, providing farmers with prosperity and a cleaner environment.

This initiative, launched at the initiative of Prime Minister Modi, also provides carbon credits to farmers, especially women. The NDDB has registered 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), further expanding the scope of collaboration.

Shah also announced that all new dairies will be built under the Make in India programme. He set up a Rs 210-crore fruit and vegetable processing facility, Mother Dairy, and launched two new ghee brands – Badri Ghee from Uttarakhand and Gir Ghee from Gujarat, indicating the ability of the co-operative sector to compete with corporate products.

He said Amul has become a global success and the new initiatives will support apricot farmers in Ladakh, apple growers in Himachal and pineapple growers in Meghalaya.

India’s milk production has risen sharply, outpacing the US, reaching 231 million tonnes at a growth rate of 6%, well above the global figure of 2%. However, Shah stressed that 6.5 million families involved in milk production remain outside the co-operative sector and the government is committed to closing this gap to ensure fair prices for all.

As part of the joint campaign, per capita milk availability in India has increased from 40 kilograms in 1970 to 167 kilograms in 2023, compared to the global average of 117 kilograms.