In a remarkable achievement, West Assam Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Ltd. (WAMUL), the driving force behind Purabi Dairy, was awarded by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, for its outstanding performance in the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI) Limited e-Market Awards 2023.
The accolade was received by Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman of WAMUL’s management committee, and SB Bose, Managing Director of WAMUL, during a ceremony held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on December 30th, 2023.
The award ceremony, held in conjunction with the foundation stone laying event for NCDFI Limited’s headquarters, saw the presence of eminent dignitaries, including Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat Legislative Assembly Speaker Shri Shankar Choudhary, IFFCO Chairman Shri Dilip Sanghani, and NCDFI Chairman Dr Mangal Rai.
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, in his address, lauded the pivotal role of the cooperative dairy sector in achieving multi-dimensional goals for the nation. Emphasizing the importance of cooperative milk trading, he highlighted its comprehensive benefits to society, agriculture, villages, milk producers, and the country at large. Shah urged all cooperatives to transition to 100% bank transfers which incidentally has already been achieved by WAMUL which has been at the forefront in helping provide livelihood to around 30,000 dairy farmers under 700 dairy cooperatives from 9 districts of Assam.
Underlining India’s global leadership in milk production with a 24% share, Shah credited Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership for the remarkable 51% increase in milk production over the past 8 years, the highest in the world.
With this feather being added to the organisation’s cap, SB Bose, Managing Director of WAMUL said, “It is an honour for the dairy farmers of Assam that WAMUL and their own brand ‘Purabi’ is recognised and facilitated with the prestigious NCDFI e-market Award 2022-23 by Honourable Union Minister of Cooperation and Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, for its active participation and superlative performance in the development of Dairy Cooperative eco-system in the state of Assam.
Receiving this prestigious award reflects the collective efforts of the entire Purabi Dairy family. It reaffirms our commitment to providing a robust market for our dedicated dairy farmers and delivering quality products to our valued consumers. As we move forward, we remain steadfast in our mission to empower the farming community through innovative initiatives and contribute to the sustainable growth of the cooperative sector.”
“It was very heartening to note from the address by Hon. Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah-ji that he is well aware and has also been instrumental in the dairy development initiatives in Assam being taken with the help of NDDB. He appreciated the initiative and efforts taken by NDDB and its Chairman Dr. Meenesh Shah, to take Cooperative Dairying to places where it was not yet so well developed.”, adds Mr. Bose.
As the largest dairy cooperative in the region, Purabi Dairy has not only ensured a year-round remunerative market for its dairy farmers but has also offered quality-based value-added products to consumers. Taking a holistic approach, Purabi Dairy has conducted workshops to train farmers in various allied activities, such as bee-keeping and honey harvesting, augmenting their income.
With such support and encouragement from Govt. of India, Govt. of Assam and institutions like NDDB and NCDFI, Team Purabi has already demonstrated its capability and will live up to the expectations and challenging target set by Hon. Chief Minister of Assam Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, for making Cooperative Dairying an instrument of change for rural Assam. Empowering the farming community, especially women farmers, the cooperative has expanded its product range and ventured into new markets, ensuring sustainable growth and prosperity for farmers and consumers alike.