Sarhad Dairy drives Kutch’s 25-year rural transformation with large-scale milk procurement, camel milk processing, niche ice cream and cooperative empowerment.
Sarhad Dairy Sparks 25-Year Rural Revolution in Kutch
Gujarat: Kutch witnesses "remarkable" transformation over 25 years through Sarhad Dairy initiative

From post-quake recovery to camel milk innovation, Gujarat’s cooperative model drives income, processing growth and global dairy recognition.

Over the past 25 years since the devastating 2001 earthquake, Gujarat’s Kutch district has undergone a “remarkable transformation” fueled by cooperative growth and rural development, with Sarhad Dairy (Kutch District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd.) playing a central role in boosting livelihoods for thousands of animal husbandry farmers. The initiative reflects sustained investment in cooperative infrastructure and value-added dairy activities that now anchor the region’s economy.

Sarhad Dairy operates at substantial scale, collaborating with more than 900 cooperative societies and procuring nearly 5.5 lakh litres of milk daily from around 80,000 producers, including both bovine and camel milk. Its integrated operations span processing up to 4 lakh litres of milk per day, a 300-tonne cattle feed plant, and a large-scale ice cream facility producing 50,000 litres daily with peak output of 3.38 LLPD, while daily payments to farmers reach nearly ₹3 crore.

A standout element of Sarhad’s evolution is its camel milk processing plant, India’s first with deodorisation technology and organic certification, which routinely procures around 4,754 litres of camel milk per day. In 2024-25 this specialized procurement generated ₹8.72 crore in payments to more than 350 camel farming families, anchoring a unique niche within the broader dairy sector focused on nutrition-rich, immune-supporting camel milk products.

Beyond fluid milk, Sarhad Dairy has pioneered camel milk Rajbhog-flavoured ice cream, inaugurated in February 2024 with 80 varieties launched in its first year, producing 24.52 lakh litres with a peak dispatch of 58,000 litres. This innovation differentiates the cooperative’s product portfolio and positions it as an exporter of novel dairy products, gaining attention at events including the IDF Regional Dairy Conference and Gulf Food Expo 2025.

Sarhad Dairy’s achievements have drawn national and international recognition, winning multiple awards for social impact, agritech excellence and sustainability. Under the ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ initiative, the cooperative has also advanced financial inclusion by helping over 31,000 animal husbandry farmers open bank accounts and issue RuPay cards, while equipping hundreds of milk societies with micro-ATMs. This evolution highlights a cooperative-led blueprint for rural prosperity and diversified dairy innovation in emerging markets.

Source: ANI News via WebIndia123 — https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/gujarat-kutch-witnesses-remarkable-transformation-over-25-years-through-sarhad-dairy-initiative20260120163811/

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