Amul to start work on 20 LLPD milk processing plant in Saurashtra

Amul marketer Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (GCMMF) will soon start work for a new 20 lakh litres per day (LLPD) of milk processing plant near Rajkot, creating additional processing capacity for the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to virtually perform ground-breaking for the ₹500-crore plant next week. The plant, considered as a common mega dairy for the Saurashtra region, will be set up at Gadhka village in Rajkot district. The Saurashtra region, comprising 11 districts, collectively produces milk to the tune of about 35 lakh litres per day. But only about 10-12 lakh litres per day of milk gets processed at the existing co-operative dairy facilities available withRajkot district union, Amreli district union, Surendranagar district Union among others. The majority of the milk, according to dairy leaders, has to be transported to Amul Fed dairy in Gandhinagar for processing on daily basis. This takes about 8-10 hours from milking of the animal till the milk reaches the processing center in Gandhinagar. Further, many value-added products travel back to Saurashtra market causing an escalation in transportation cost thereby resulting into reduced remunerations for the milk producers of the region. “The annual transportation cost is around ₹100 crore. So, once this facility is ready in Saurashtra, it will directly benefit farmers of the region. There won’t be any milk holiday during the flush season and also the savings from transportation cost will allow dairies to pay a little higher procurement price to the producers,” said RS Sodhi, Managing Director, GCMMF. Shamalbhai Patel, Chairman, GCMMF, told businessline, “With this new plant, the dairies would be able to process and deliver the milk faster in the market. Now, if there is an increase in milk procurement in the region in future, they will still be able to handle additional quantity.” “The plant will take about 2-3 years to be ready. We have been allotted the land and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to perform ground breaking virtually,” said Patel. The dairy leaders expect that in the next five years, the milk procurement in Saurashtra region is expected to grow at about eight per cent and in the next five years, the daily milk procurement may touch 35 LLPD. The plant, according to Sodhi, will also produce value-added milk products such as butter oil (Ghee), butter, skimmed milk powder (SMP), besides the liquid milk packaging and ultra-high treated milk. “Because the region is in close proximity to ports such as Mundra and Kandla, we can also think of export from this plant,” said Sodhi.

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