Introduction
Mehsana District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited, Mehsana (MDCMPU Ltd) popularly known as Dudhsagar Dairy, (located at Mehsana in Gujarat) is one of the largest Co-operative Dairy in India. MDCMPU Ltd was established in 1960 with the noble intention of ensuring a fair return to the milk producers. It is a district level apex body of milk cooperative societies in Mehsana District which aims to provide remunerative returns to milk producers’ and also to serve the interest of consumers by providing quality and safe milk and milk products which give good value for money. It is having eights dairies ,Two milk chilling centres, two cattle feed plants, semen collection plant and one Dairy Science College. Various products manufactured are milk in milk pouches, Dahi, Buttemilk, Ghee, Table Butter, Milk Powder, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Ice Cream, Flavoured milk and long shelf life (UHT) milk. It is selling almost all milk and milk products in India and abroad under the brand name of Amul and Sagar and having total turnover of around Rs. 6938/- crores (FY 2022-23) with its broad base of more than 10 lakh farmer members in Gujarat, Rajasthan , Haryana , MP , UP states.
The pioneer and founder of this union was Late Shri Mansingbhai Purthviraj Patel. Under his guidelines this union was established in 1960 with first day milk collection 3300 Litres from 11 Milk Societies. Initially milk was supplied to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation only. It has played a key role in bringing revolutionary changes in economic, social and literacy standards of more than 5.21 lakh rural milk producers, who belong to more than 1250 villages in Mehsana, Patan and Gandhinagar districts of Gujarat. It started from average collection of 3300 litres of milk per day and today we have surpassed the average milk collection of 32 lakh litres of milk per day in the FY 2022-23. The Foundation Stone Implantation of this dudhsagar dairy was done in 1963 while the first Milk Chilling Centre was started in 1964. Sh C Subramaniam, then Agricultural Minister had inaugurated first Milk Pasteurization Plant & Powder Plant at Dudhsagar Dairy with capacity of 90,000 Litres. In 1966 Dairy had started supplying Milk Powder to Army and liquid Milk supply to local Mehsana Customers. The Dairy had started milk supplies to Delhi in 1968. The second powder Plant was started in 1972 and the Union also started Marketing of Milk & milk products under SAGAR brand in Bombay and other cities.
Third Chilling centre in Hansapur started in 1973 along with Cow milk Collection. In the same year Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited started and marketing of Milk & Milk Products through GCMMF initiated. In 1974 second Powder Plant & Kadi Milk Chilling Centre were started. Harij Chilling Centre started in 1976. In 1981 Ubkhal Cattle Feed Plant started. The Fourth Powder Plant started in 1984 with the capacity of drying was 45 MT.
Sweetened Condensed milk (SCM) Plant started in 1993 for supplying Condensed Milk to defence. This is the only one plant among cooperative sector for Amul Mithaimate. Dairy had started milk collection through Bulk Milk Cooler in year 2000. Second SCM Plant at Vihar Chilling Centre started with capacity of 20 MT per day in 2016. Dudhsagar Dairy had collected peak Milk 40.25 /day on 12.01.2018 which is history records.
Milk Procurement
Mehsana District Co-Operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited started with average milk collection of only 3300 Kgs per day from 11 village level co-operative societies and now peak milk procurement in Gujarat is 23.67 Lakh Kgs and outside Gujarat is 10.53 Lakh Kgs in the year 2022-23.
Cattle Feed to farmer members
Mehsana District Co-Operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited is providing high quality Sagardan, Hyprodan, Samrudhidan and chelated mineral mixture etc. to its farmer members on no profit no loss basis. In year 2022-23, cattle feed production of 301347 M.T. in all variants has been done from our modern cattle feed plants situated at Jagudan and Ubkhal.
Veterinary Services
Mehsana District Co-Operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited has strong team of veterinary doctors (more then 100) for supporting their farmer members at their door step. MDCMPU has implemented web based support system for registration of visits by farmers for early resolution of complaint at nominal token price.
Breeding Programmes
Mehsana District Co-Operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited has started Animal Husbandry services in 1979 at Jagudan. This centre has started semen collection from high breed and started Artificial Insemination across the district. Government of Gujarat has awarded this Semen Station with the grade A & it is certified with ISO 9001:2008. This semen Station stands at First Position in Gujarat Government Audit Report & Third Position at India Level.
ISO Certification
Mehsana District Co-Operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited has ensured quality and food safety at all levels of its operation. Dudhsagar Dairy Plant along with newly established dairy plants located at Vihar, Patan, Kadi and Harij are certified with ISO 22000:2005 and ISO 9001:2015. Not only plants but also more than 500 village level societies are also certified with ISO-9001:2015.
Dudhsagar Dairy is not only from farmers but also providing them total support by co-operative services like Cattle feed, veterinary services, breeding services, cattle insurance, cattle finance schemes, clean milk production, trainings etc.
Other Plants
Mehsana District Co-Operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited has established two state-of-the-art Milk & Milk Products plants in Haryana near NCR, Delhi suburb namely Dudhmansagar Dairy, Manesar (DMD) & Dudhmotisagar Dairy, Dharuhera (DHD). DMD plant was started in year 2005 near Delhi with the capacity of 3.0 Lac per day and now expanded to 13.0 LLPD manufacturing Pouch Milk, Butter Milk along , Ice Cream & Ultra High Temperature Milk (UHT) capacity 3.0 Lacs per day having shelf life of 90 days.
DHD was established in 2012 with a processing capacity of 15.0 LLPD expandable up to 30.0 LLPD and manufacturing Pouch Milk, Dahi, Butter Milk, and Fresh Rabri. A 12 MT fully automated Paneer Plant will be operational by end of 2020.
Both DMD & DHD are certified by DNV GL with FSSC 22000, Version 4.1 ISO 9001:2015. DMD was the first dairy in India among co-operative sector to get FSSC 22000 certification in June 2015.
Milk Collection Centres
Presently, Milk from Rajasthan , Haryana , MP , UP States is being collected and processed at Dudhmotisagar & Dudhmansagar Dairy. We are collecting 10.0 Lacs Milk from these two states with the help of 28 Milk Chilling Centres.
MIDFT College of Dairy & Food Technology
MIDFT College started in 2011 under Kamdhenu University with aim to prepare future Technocrats of Famers children associated with Dudhsagar Dairy.