Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Gujarat’s dairy cooperative network transfers nearly Rs 200 crore every day into the bank accounts of women livestock rearers, describing the dairy sector as one of the biggest drivers of women’s economic empowerment in rural India.
Speaking at the inauguration of Madhur Dairy’s new milk processing plant at Dashela in Gandhinagar district, Shah said nearly 36 lakh women in Gujarat are associated with milk production and dairy cooperative activities.
“Thirty-six lakh women in Gujarat produce nearly three crore litres of milk every day, and almost Rs 200 crore deposited daily into their accounts,” the Union Minister said.
Shah said the dairy cooperative structure has significantly improved the financial position of women in rural households.
Recalling his experiences from Mansa, where he was born, Shah said he had witnessed the social transformation brought by dairy cooperatives in villages.
“There was a time when women worked hard but did not have financial independence. Today, because of the dairy sector, women have become the heads of their households,” he stated.
The Union Minister added that the cooperative model ensures profits directly reach women engaged in milk production.
“Because of the cooperative sector, this profit directly reaches the bank account of the woman who milks the cows and buffaloes,” he said.
Shah also highlighted the role of technology in strengthening the dairy and agriculture sectors.
Referring to the AI-powered digital assistant ‘Sarlaben’, launched recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah said the platform aims to support women involved in farming and livestock rearing. He added that the platform uses a simple design so that even women in small villages can use it easily.
Bhupendra Patel, Shankar Chaudhary, Harsh Sanghavi, dairy officials, cooperative representatives and farmers attended the programme.
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