Rohtak, Oct 3 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said India has made significant strides in the dairy sector over the past 11 years, noting that it has grown by 70 per cent during this period and is now the fastest-growing sector in the world.

He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's dairy sector has expanded by 70 per cent in terms of capacity.

In the world, India's dairy sector is the fastest-growing, Shah said after inaugurating the newly constructed Sabar Dairy Plant facility in Industrial Model Township here, as part of efforts to promote the cooperative sector.

Built at a cost of Rs 325 crore, the plant will house state-of-the-art machinery and is expected to generate direct and indirect employment.

The newly inaugurated Sabar Dairy plant here is the country's largest production facility for curd, buttermilk, and yogurt, with a daily capacity of 150 metric tonnes of curd, 3 lakh litres of buttermilk, 10 lakh litres of yogurt, and 10 metric tonnes of sweets.

Gujarat-headquartered Sabarkantha District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union is known as Sabar Dairy.

Shah, who also holds the cooperation portfolio, said that over the past four years, this Ministry, in collaboration with all state governments, has laid a strong foundation for the cooperative system.

"I want to assure you that by 2029, not even one Panchayat will be there in the country which will not have a cooperative Samiti," Shah said.

Shah said the number of milch animals has increased from 86 million in 2014-2015 to 112 million. Milk production has increased from 146 million tonnes to 239 million tonnes, he said.

As many as eight crore farmers are connected with the dairy sector, and the per capita milk availability, which was earlier 124 grams, is now 471 grams, said Shah.

During the last 11 years, a lot of changes have taken place in the dairy sector because of which farmers have become prosperous, he further said, while adding that India has emerged as the top milk producer in the world.

Shah also mentioned about the White Revolution 2.0 initiative and said that by 2028-29, milk procurement by dairy cooperatives is expected to reach 1,007 lakh kg per day from current levels.

When there is an increase in the milk procurement under the cooperative sector, its profit goes directly to farmers engaged in the dairy sector, he said.

In the last one year, around 33,000 cooperatives have been registered, he further said.

The milk of indigenous cattle breeds, which is beneficial for health, increased from 39 million tonnes to 50 million tonnes, he said.

A system will also be developed so that the country has the world's most modern plants in India, he said.

About Sabar Dairy's new plant here, Shah said it will meet the needs of the entire National Capital Region and Northern states.

Sabar Dairy serves farmers of Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

In Haryana, it will reach everywhere, which will increase the income of farmers, he further said.

Through cooperative dairy, 35 lakh women in Gujarat are doing business of Rs 85,000 crore, he said.

He said Sabar Dairy chairman said they are going to carry out expansion in Haryana and set up another plant of the same capacity within a year.

Meanwhile, Shah said under the White Revolution 2.0, over 75,000 dairy cooperatives will be set up in the coming time in the country. Besides, 46,000 cooperative societies will be strengthened, he added.

Shah touched upon the government's decision to establish three new multi-state cooperative societies for the cooperative dairy sector.

The first society will focus on 'animal feed production, disease control and artificial insemination', the second will promote 'developing cow dung management models' and the third will promote 'circular use of dead cattle remains'.

The Modi government brought the National Gokul mission, ran the national artificial insemination programme and set up the animal husbandry infrastructure development fund, he said.

"We will also develop a system so that the country has the world's most modern plants in India and there is work on research and development, " he said.

He also mentioned the launching and modernizing of various dairy and cooperative projects associated with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Gujarat Vidhan Sabha Speaker Shankarbhai Chaudhary, Union Ministers of State Rao Inderjit Singh and Krishan Pal, Gujarat Minister Bhikhusinh Parmar, Chairman, Sabar Dairy, Shamalbhai B Patel, Amul chairman Ashok Chaudhary and Haryana Minister Arvind Sharma, Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli were among others present at the event. PTI SUN CHS VSD DRR