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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making Gujarat state a leader in the field of milk production has got a new energy under the leadership of state Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
This sector is growing rapidly through natural farming and advanced technology in agriculture and horticulture as well as animal husbandry. As a result, the citizens of the state are benefiting from the circular economy and today Gujarat's fame in the dairy sector is being heard all over the world. At present, Gujarat's dairy industry has grown to over Rs 1 lakh crore and Rs 200 crore is paid daily to 36 lakh milk producers under the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF). GCMMF's Amul brand has become global today and its foundation is the hard work of lakhs of dairy farmers. One such progressive dairy farmer is Jayeshbhai Shambhubhai Patel, resident of Jharola village of Borsad tehsil of Anand. As Gujarat gears up for the next Vibrant Summit 2024, Jayeshbhai and several dairy farmers like him are eagerly awaiting an opportunity to further enhance their knowledge and skills. Jayeshbhai says, "I do not miss even a single Vibrant Gujarat summit. For someone like me this is the pinnacle event which is very useful for us. Many people like me come to this summit. We learn new skills and technlogies and it gives us great benifit. I always take advantage of this by attending Vibrant Gujarat summit." Jayeshbhai Patel, 51, worked as a surveyor in Vadodara and Mumbai for 18 years. His family did small-scale animal husbandry on one and a half acres of land. With time and with a scientific approach and knowledge of advanced studies as well as business and pastoral understanding, Jayeshbhai started expanding into the field of animal husbandry and agriculture. "I keep only 10 to 12 cows. Feed is regularly given to the animals at the right time and they are milked at the right time so that they give the prescribed quantity of milk every day. A shed has been constructed to keep the cows and a milking machine has also been installed. At present we earn about Rs 1.5 lakh a month by sending this milk to Amul. Jayeshbhai has also been doing organic farming for the last 10 years. They use cow dung and cow urine to make fertilizers and pesticides. They grow vegetables, feed for cows and also essential crops on their land. Along with this, they are also earning income by making fertilizer from cow dung and selling it to nearby farmers. Dedicated to the interests of farmers and livestock farmers, Amul has revolutionized the dairy sector. Amul team is always on the field to provide proper training, seeds, milk procurement, artificial insemination and scientific approach to animal husbandry. Speaking about Amul's contribution, Jayeshbhai ethusiastically says, "We got good seeding because of Amul. Due to this, reproduction started and milk production increased. Due to this the income started increasing and our enthusiasm also increased. As a result, our efforts to acquire knowledge also increased and we started gaining knowledge of everything. Because of Amul, we started getting what we wanted." Jayeshbhai who is now a known name in the area of animal husbandry also provides training on animal husbandry, natural farming and developing various business models through it across the state. Due to his inspiration, the income of many farmers has also increased and they have also turned towards organic farming. (ANI)
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