'Stable tenures of top officials must for dairy sector growth'

Stability of top level officials' tenures is essential for growth of the dairy sector, Amul's Managing Director R S Sodhi said today.
In states like Uttar Pradesh, chairmen of co-operative milk federations are changed every 2-6 months, he said.
"Kerala's Milma is the only co-operative federation other than Amul whose chairman is not changed frequently. In UP, the managing director is changed in every 2-6 months. Stability at the top is essential for the growth (of the sector)," Sodhi said.
He was speaking at an event titled 'Building Ageless Organisation- The Kurien Way', on the occasion of 'National Milk Day' to commemorate the 94th birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien, the father of the White Revolution and founder of Amul.

Sodhi said though UP is a bigger state than Kerala, it has only one-third of the southern state's milk procurement.
He urged dairy farmers in Kerala not to be disheartened by challenges but accept them as opportunities, just as Dr Kurien did.

On Dr Kurien's contributions to the dairy sector, he said the farsighted vision the 'Milkman of India' was still relevant for the rural uplift of the country.
"When we talk about nation building, after Mahatma Gandhi, it is Dr Kurien who had really stood for the millions of have-nots and poorest of the poor Indians.
"Dr Kurien had started over 200 iconic institutions and ensured the grass-root level participation of people. He believed in the power of people and in the motto of liberty, equality and democracy," Sodhi said.

Inaugurating the National Milk Day celebrations, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the state needed to increase its milk production and stop procurement from neighbouring states.