Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 20 (ANI): Since the devastating earthquake of January 26, 2001, Kutch has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past 25 years.

During his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi led Kutch's revival, turning recovery into long-term development.Today, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, this progress continues, reflected in initiatives like Kutch District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd., popularly known as Sarhad Dairy. The Dairy, established in 2009 under PM Narendra Modi's guidance, is Kutch's largest cooperative and a vital livelihood source for local animal husbandry farmers, according to a release.

The dairy collaborates with over 900 cooperative societies, procuring nearly 5.5 lakh litres of milk daily from around 80,000 milk producers. It processes up to 4 lakh litres of milk per day, runs a 300-tonne cattle feed plant, and produces 50,000 litres of ice cream daily, with a peak production of 3.38 LLPD. It supports animal husbandry farmers by disbursing nearly Rs 3 crore each day. In 2024-25, the dairy achieved a historic turnover of over Rs 1,200 crore, reflecting a 9.09% growth from the previous year.

Sarhad Dairy is also a pioneer for the supply of pure Buffalo milk to many different dairy plants of Amul in various states such as Haryana, Hyderabad, and Maharashtra.

Considered the white gold of the Rann of Kutch, camel milk is rich in essential minerals, promotes overall health, and strengthens immunity. Sarhad Dairy has India's first deodorising camel milk processing plant with advanced machinery, functional since January 16, 2019.

The dairy has also earned the primary organic certification for camel milk. Following the Amul model, camel milk is collected through four centres across Kutch district: Rapar, Nakhatrana, Gadhshisha, and Kotda Athamana.

In 2024-25, daily camel milk procurement reached 4,754 litres, with an annual payment of Rs 8,72,83,440 made to over 350 camel farming families. Additionally, the Dairy is the only facility in India producing camel milk Rajbhog-flavoured ice cream. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 22, 2024, the ice cream plant has already launched 80 varieties within just one year. In 2024-25, it produced a total of 24.52 lakh litres of ice cream, with a peak dispatch of 58,000 litres.

The IDA Indian Dairy Association conference was held in Gandhinagar in January 2022. Sarhad Dairy was represented by Nirav Gusai, General Manager of Dairy, highlighting the dairy's achievements. The Dairy's pioneering camel milk initiatives were showcased at the first-ever Regional Dairy Conference by IDF (International Dairy Federation) 2024 in Kochi, Kerala, where Nirav Gusai presented its work as a model for camel milk production in the Asia-Pacific region. Sarhad Dairy also gained prominence at the Gulf Food Expo 2025 in Dubai, the world's largest food show, with its camel milk products at the Amul stall attracting significant attention.

According to the release, the dairy was represented by GCMMF Vice Chairman and Dairy Chairman Valamji Humbal. The Dairy has received several prestigious awards, including the FOKIA Award 2014 for Social Growth and Infrastructure Development, the Rotary Club Vocational Excellence Award 2017 for developing the Kutch dairy sector, the FOKIA Award 2024 for Excellence in Agritech, and the Green Workplace Award 2025 from VNM TV for sustainability performance.

'Sahkar se Samriddhi' is a visionary initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home and Cooperative Minister Amit Shah. Under this program, Sarhad Dairy has helped 900 milk societies and 31,067 animal husbandry farmers open accounts at the Kutch District Central Cooperative Bank (KDCC Bank). To further simplify banking, farmers have been issued RuPay cards, and 438 milk societies have received Micro ATMs. (ANI)