Banaskantha (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India produces milk worth Rs 8.5 lakh crore annually, more than the turnover of wheat and rice, with small farmers being the biggest beneficiaries of the dairy sector. "Today, India is the world's largest producer of milk. When the livelihood of crores of farmers depend on milk, India produces milk worth Rs 8.5 lakh crore annually, something that many people, including big economists, do not pay attention to," the prime minister said while addressing a gathering at Diyodar in the Banaskantha district after inaugurating a new dairy complex and a potato processing plant of the Banas Dairy.
"Decentralised economy system of villages is an example of this. As against this, even the turnover of wheat and rice is not equal to Rs 8.5 lakh crore. And small farmers are the biggest beneficiaries of the dairy sector," he said. The new dairy complex and the potato processing plant of Banas Dairy are aimed at empowering local farmers and giving a boost to the rural economy in the region. The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the Banas Community Radio Station and the expanded facilities for the production of cheese products and whey powder at Palanpur, and organic manure and biogas plant established at Dama.
Prime Minister on Tuesday arrived at the Banas Dairy Sankul situated in Gujarat's Banaskantha district and expressed his pride in the dairy stating it is a hub for empowering local communities, especially farmers and women. He also launched multiple projects at the Dairy and will also lay the foundation stone of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar.
Earlier in the day, he took to Twitter and shared glimpses of his visit to Dairy in 2016. "I am delighted to be visiting Banas Dairy yet again. I last visited the Dairy in 2016. At that time a series of products of the Dairy was launched. I also visited the Dairy in 2013. Here are glimpses from both programmes," PM Modi tweeted.
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I am delighted to be visiting @banasdairy1969 yet again. I had last visited the Dairy in 2016. That time a series of products of the Dairy were launched. I had also visited the Dairy in 2013. Here are glimpses from both programmes. pic.twitter.com/J8xlTPHT6e
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 19, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">I am delighted to be visiting @banasdairy1969 yet again. I had last visited the Dairy in 2016. That time a series of products of the Dairy were launched. I had also visited the Dairy in 2013. Here are glimpses from both programmes. pic.twitter.com/J8xlTPHT6e
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 19, 2022I am delighted to be visiting @banasdairy1969 yet again. I had last visited the Dairy in 2016. That time a series of products of the Dairy were launched. I had also visited the Dairy in 2013. Here are glimpses from both programmes. pic.twitter.com/J8xlTPHT6e
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 19, 2022
He further tweeted that in the last several years, the Banas Dairy has become a hub for empowering local communities, especially farmers and women. He added that he is particularly proud of Dairy's innovative zeal which is seen in their various products. Their continued focus on honey is also laudatory, he further added. "I would like to applaud the people of Banaskantha for their hard work and spirit of resilience. The manner in which this district has made a mark in agriculture is commendable. Farmers embraced new technologies, focused on water conservation and the results are for all to see," he tweeted.
Read: PM Modi to inaugurate WHO GCTM on Tuesday; WHO director will take part
with Agency inputs
