NDDB’s Wheels of Cooperation Campaign celebrates spirit of cooperation: Chairman, NDDB

Anand: The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in collaboration with Amul Dairy, Baroda Dairy, Surat Milk Union, Amidhara Fruit and Vegetables Cooperative Limited, Vasudhara Dairy, Godavari-Khore Milk Union, Kopargaon and Sahyadri Farms celebrated the 71^st All India Cooperative Week (14 November – 20 November) with the theme “Role of Cooperatives in Building ‘Viksit Bharat’,” through the “Wheels of Cooperation” campaign. This initiative is one of many planned to celebrate NDDB’s Diamond Jubilee year.

While felicitating the participating farmer members, Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB commended the farmers for their contributions to dairying, manure management, organic farming and the adoption of grid connected solar irrigation. He expressed confidence that the experiences shared by these farmers would inspire others to diversify their income, protect the environment, ensure nutrition security and promote sustainable livelihoods. The fact that these initiatives were achieved through cooperation among the farmers highlights the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s vision of “Sahakar se Samriddhi,” under the guidance of Hon’ble Union Home Affairs & Cooperation Minister, Shri Amit Shah ji.

The “Wheels of Cooperation” campaign was flagged off by Executive Director, NDDB on 14^th November 2024 at NDDB, Anand. The campaign organised by NDDB during November 14-18, 2024, brought together cooperative leaders and members from Mujkuva village in Anand district, Gujarat. This village is a hub for 4 diverse cooperative societies, each with a unique focus, providing valuable perspectives. These cooperatives include the Mujkuva Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society, which integrates advanced milk collection systems and environmental initiatives; Mujkuva Sakhi Khad Sahakari Mandali, one of India’s first women-led manure cooperatives; Mujkuva Solar Pump Irrigators Cooperative Enterprise, which supports farmers by using solar energy for irrigation and enables them to sell surplus energy back to the grid and Mujkuva Organic Farmer Cooperative Society. The campaign aimed to foster collaboration by promoting best practices in dairy, solar irrigation, manure management and organic farming.

The campaign introduced participants to key cooperative organisations, such as Amul Dairy, Baroda Dairy, Surat Dairy, Vasudhara Milk Union, Godavari-Khore Milk Union, Kopargaon and other farmer centric organisations like Amidhara Fruits and Vegetables Cooperative Ltd, as well as Sahyadri Farms. These visits offered valuable insights into cooperative management, dairy production, sustainable farming practices, and income-generating activities such as beekeeping, value addition to fruits & vegetables and the management of farmer collectives.

In a learning, cross learning and knowledge dissemination spree the farmers of Mujkuva visited Tribhuvandas Food Complex at Mogar; a bovine breeding farm at Mogar; a calf rearing farm at Sarsa and interacted with the officials of Baroda Dairy on cooperative-driven innovations and rural economic growth. The participants then travelled to Surat Milk Union and exchanged ideas on livestock feed production. The team further proceeded to Amidhara Fruits and Vegetables Cooperative Society in Chikhli where the delegation was oriented on the processing of fresh horticultural produce and export processes. Following this, the delegation met with members of Soldhara Dairy Cooperative Society under Vasudhara Milk Union to gain knowledge about best practices in honey production, beekeeping, manure management and composting as income-generating practices and shared their own learnings. Campaigners also discussed best practices in dairy and crop management with the members of India’s largest farmer producer company, Sahyadri Farms. Finally, the group toured the dairy plant of Godavari-Khore Milk Union at Kopargaon, engaging in knowledge-sharing sessions.

This five-day journey was not only a learning experience for the leaders of the cooperatives in Mujkuva but also a celebration of the cooperative spirit. It catalysed awareness generation in innovation, technology, good governance, entrepreneurship, skill development and the role of cooperatives in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through knowledge exchange about the various initiatives in Mujkuva. These initiatives align with the theme of the 71^st All India Cooperative Week reinforcing NDDB’s vision of fostering sustainable rural development through collaboration and mutual learning.