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The ₹4,000-crore Hatsun Agro Product Ltd, India’s largest private sector dairy company, has clarified that its products including Arokya, branded liquid milk, meet the highest quality standards.
At a press conference on Thursday, RG Chandramogan, Chairman and Managing Director, Hatsun Agro, said the company directly procures milk from over 4 lakh farmers spread across 10,500 villages across South India. Payments to farmers are done in a transparent manner and paid directly into their bank accounts. The company has a modern infrastructure to chill and process the milk with over 10,150 collection centres, 98 chilling centres and 395 bulk coolers and over 2,400 distribution centres with cold chain infrastructure.
Hatsun Agro collects about 27 lakh litres of milk daily and can handle up to 32 lakh litres and has one-third of the market share in Tamil Nadu where the estimated demand is about 62 lakh litres. The milk is processed and packed in 10 different locations in modern factories with regular tests for quality carried out by the company and statutory authorities including the FSSAI, he asserted.
The other major player in Tamil Nadu is Aavin, the dairy cooperative, which has a 40 per cent market share, and is controlled by the government Dairy Development Department.
Chandramogan’s comments come in the backdrop of Tamil Nadu Dairy Development Minister Rajenthra Bhalaji’s comments on Wednesday alleging private dairy companies’ milk are chemical treated to extend shelf life and pose a serious health hazard.
However, he declined to comment on the Minister tarring the private sector dairy companies with a broad brush stroke.
Chandramogan, who is a member of the International Dairy Federation, clarified that his explanation pertains to Hatsun Agro Product, a market leader, which has over 8,000 employees and 36,000 business associates.
Arokya Milk and Hatsun Curd are the largest brands in their segments and the company is also known for its flagship Arun Ice Creams, Hatsun branded dairy products and Santosa cattle feed. Hatsun Agro’s products are exported to over 40 countries globally, he said.
He also invited journalists to any of the company’s factories in to see for themselves the conditions from procurement to final output.
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