In the next couple of years, the cooperative giant Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) is planning to make an investment of a whopping Rs 3000 crore in modernization of dairy plants and expansion of milk procurement outside Gujarat.
Talking to Indian Cooperative its Managing Director R S Sodhi said GCMMF aims at expanding business in several states including West Bengal, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
“The cooperative is planning to establish state of the art dairy plants in cities like Kanpur, Kolkata, Delhi and Lucknow. The GCMMF would also soon be exploring for business possibilities in South India and the North East” Sodhi added.
GCMMF MD RS Sodhi further said the company would also claim a share of the US milk market and establish a modern dairy plant in New Jersey towards this end.
Mr Sodhi claims no less than half a million farmers would benefit from the GCMMF’s business expansion in areas beyond Gujarat.
GCMMF is going through a golden phase with simultaneous acceleration in demand and supply. Results of the apex body of dairy cooperatives in Gujarat declared on 25th June 2013, showed an unprecedented 20% growth in milk procurement during the year 2012-13.
In fact, GCMMF set new records during year, demonstrating its ability to procure and successfully handle as much as 16.6 million Kgs of milk during peak days of flush winter months.
Leveraging on several marketing and technological innovations as well as enhanced distribution reach, GCMMF closed the year with a turnover of Rs. 13735 crores, which is 18% higher than the turnover of Rs 11668 crores, achieved in 2011-12.