Gcmmf To Set Up Dairy In J & K

Responding to a request by the Jammu & Kashmir chief minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, to set up a dairy in the valley, the founder of Amul dairy and the chairman of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, Vergese Kurien, said it would start operating within a year.

A team of officials from the federation would soon visit Jammu & Kashmir for the purpose, he said.

Sayeed, along with his 10-member team is in Anand to study the pattern of development of the dairy industry there.

Setting up of the dairy unit would cost Rs five crore, Kurien said, adding that after making it economically viable, it will be handed over to the state government. The initial loss would be borne by the federation, Kurien added.

 

Sayeed said the farmers in his state were not aware of marketing possibilities of milk and therefore were not getting the appropriate prices. So setting up of a dairy unit would help them to become self-reliant, he said.

Kurien said to set up a dairy unit, a cooperative base would have to the created in the valley.

When asked where the dairy would be set up, Kurien said he was prepared to set up the unit in any part of the state.

To a query, he said the federation would do it on its own and there was no question of setting a joint venture company.

Thanking the tourists from Gujarat for visiting the Amarnath Shrine and Vaishnovdevi temple in large numbers after installation of his government there, Sayeed said