White Revolution to poll relevance: The rise of Gujarat’s dairy industry

Waiting their turn at a milk cooperative in Surendranagar district. (Express Photo/Javed Raja)

Gujarat elections: The constituency of milk, 35 lakh voters and growing

There is one “crop” — milk — from which the BJP will hope to gain in the Gujarat elections. The White Revolution has had a “second coming”, under the BJP regime. The price of milk, as opposed to that of other farm produce, has risen steadily since 2002-03, when Narendra Modi first became CM. Read the full story here.

A woman dairy farmer pouring milk at a society having a bulk cooler in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district (Express Photo/Javed Raja)

Chilling technology: White Revolution – Part II

Dairy farmers in Gujarat have gained by the role of bulk milk coolers (BMC), which allows milk to be chilled either at the original procurement centre itself or a neighbouring village society. As opposed to when farmers were time-bound to deliver milk, BMCs now give farmers more flexibility. The Indian Express travels through remote areas of Saurashtra and Kutch to understand the benefits of chilling technology. Read more here.

Maldhari herdsman Raubhai Halepotra with his Banni breed buffaloes at Erandavali village in Kutch district of Gujarat (Express Photo/Harish Damodaran)

In arid Kutch, a village of 30 families that supplies Rs 2.2 crore worth of milk a year

The Muslim Maldhari pastoralist community supplied 529,341 litres of milk to the Kutch District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union during the year ended March 31, 2017. The milk is produced by the indigenous Banni buffalo breed, which can tolerate water scarcity and harsh climatic conditions while thriving on the natural grasses growing in Bhuj Taluka of Gujarat’s Kutch district. Click here for more. 

Progressive dairy farmer Chinubhai Patel with his 5,000-litre ‘Parev’ Gir cow at Halvad in Gujarat (Express Photo/Javed Raja)

Rearing indigenous cattle is easier said than done; this farmer shows how it can be profitable

Chinubhai Khetasibhai Patel follows certain practices, which he says can result in Gir cows being inseminated in 24 months, and can start producing milk in 33 months. Click to read the practices he follows.