Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah inaugurated a state-of-the-art cattle feed plant with a production capacity of 800 MT at Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat today. Several dignitaries, including the Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, Shri Shankar Chaudhary, were present on the occasion.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah mentioned that the seed planted in the form of establishment of Sabar Dairy has now grown into a banyan tree, providing livelihood to over three and a half lakh families. Shri Shah shared that he also met some women associated with animal husbandry today, who told him that it is because of Sabar Dairy and its milk business that they are now able to live with dignity.

Union Minister of Cooperation said that the two cooperatives honored today for their excellent performance in milk production include those that have earned cheque of over one crore rupees from the milk trade. He mentioned that the cooperative dairy movement has not only empowered women but also brought prosperity to villages and provided nutrition. Shri Shah emphasized that this success is a result of the White Revolution initiated by Amul.

Shri Amit Shah stated that a Rs. 210 crore animal feed plant has been established at Sabarkantha Dairy to provide nutritious feed to the local livestock. He mentioned that since its inception in 1976, Sabarkantha Dairy has achieved a capacity of 2,050 metric tons of animal feed by the time the feed plant was inaugurated. He said that in 1970, India produced only 40 kilo grams of milk per person per year, while in 2023, the country produced 167 kilo grams of milk per person per year.

Shri Shah emphasized that this means India has the highest per capita milk production average among all countries, and the cooperative movement has played a significant role in this achievement.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation appealed to farmers to adopt natural farming, stating that in the coming days, it will be a cause of prosperity for farmers and will also serve as a means to free citizens of the country and the world from cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. He mentioned that natural farming is quite simple and can greatly help in improving both the health and income of society. To ensure that farmers practicing natural farming get a good price for their produce, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has established the National Cooperative Organic Limited (NCOL) and the National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL), which will purchase products grown through natural farming from farmers and export them.

Shri Amit Shah stated that while the yield in the first year of natural farming may be slightly lower, there will be profits in the second and third years. He mentioned that natural farming enriches the soil through earthworms, and there will be no need for pesticides. He noted that this practice has been widely adopted in Gujarat and emphasized that the dairy sector should incorporate training on natural farming into its programs.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation noted that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Gobardhan Yojana for those with large livestock holdings. Many dairies in Gujarat have successfully implemented the concept of Gobardhan. He said that the manure produced through Gobardhan enriches the soil.

He pointed out that when the cooperative movement began with dairies, no one could have imagined that Amul would become a vast network worth ₹60,000 crores. He further said that while the concept of natural farming might seem impractical at the start, but eventually, it will lead to opening up of a global market worth ₹10 lakh crores for Indian farmers and will lead to prosperity in the country.

Shri Amit Shah today inaugurated the Fila Vista-2024 Stamp Exhibition in Gandhinagar and paid homage to the great leaders of the Dandi March at the Dandi Kutir Museum, a significant cultural and historical site.

Furthermore, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, also inaugurated the Shela Lake and Park in Sanand.

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RK/VV/ASH/PS