The Visakha Dairy, the premier dairy in Andhra Pradesh, is currently procuring and processing more than 7 lakh litres of milk a day and is aiming at a target of 10 lakh litres a day by 2020, according to the Chairman, A Tulasi Rao.

The dairy operates in five districts of AP - Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari and West Godavari.

The 76-year-old Tulasi Rao, nicknamed “Andhra Kurien’’ for his achievements in the dairy sector, told the media here on Saturday that when he had taken over as the chairman three decades ago in 1986, the Visakha Co-operative Dairy was handling hardly 40,000- 50,000 litres of milk a day and "now we have crossed 7 lakh litres a day and our turnover is Rs 1,100 crore. We are producing a range of dairy products and shortly we are also planning exports.’’

Recounting the vicissitudes the dairy had passed through during the past 30 years, he said that “to a large extent the policies of successive governments are to blame for the failure of many co-operative dairies. We have survived and thrived against all odds but many co-op dairies like Chittoor Dairy have collapsed.’’

He said that the basic character of Visakha Dairy had undergone transformation during the past 30 years from a co-op dairy into almost a private company. “Now we are under the Companies Act and if we had not made the adjustments we too would have gone under,’’ he said.

He said the Visakha Dairy, established in 1973 with an initial capacity of 7,000 litres a day at Akkireddipalem in Visakhapatnam district, “is now in a position to take on competition from any quarter - private dairies or co-op dairies. In 1986, we used to visit Anand to study Amul’s methods of operation. Now, delegates from Amul are visiting our plant.’’

To celebrate three decades of Tulasi Rao’s leadership, Visakha Dairy is releasing three new dairy products in the market - cream in two different packs and flavoured milk.

sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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