Nitin Gadkari lays the foundation stone of Mother Dairy’s mega milk processing plant in Nagpur

Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, virtually laid the foundation stone of Mother Dairy's proposed state-of-the-art mega milk processing plant in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The virtual foundation stone laying ceremony was conducted during the inaugural day of Agrovision 2023, in the august presence of Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Hon’ble Minister for Revenue, Animal Husbandry & Dairy Development, Government of Maharashtra, Dr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), and Manish Bandlish, managing director, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable.

The greenfield plant, being set up with an investment of over Rs 500 crores, will be spread across a sprawling campus of 25 acres in Butibori Industrial Estate, Nagpur. The upcoming facility will have a processing capacity of 6 lakh liters of milk per day, expandable up to 10 lakh liters per day. It will manufacture poly-pack milk and other value-added dairy products like ice creams, chaach, lassi, paneer, etc.

On the occasion, Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, said that it is indeed an auspicious day as with the collective efforts of Government of India, Government of Maharashtra, and NDDB-Mother Dairy, we are marking a new beginning of dairy development in the regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada.

Shri Gadkari reiterated his vision of Vidarbha and Marathwada to play a pivotal role in uplifting the milk production of the state of Maharashtra. He mentioned that NDDB and Mother Dairy have been instrumental in increasing milk production across these regions while acknowledging that due to NDDB and Mother Dairy’s interventions, the region's dairy farmers are getting better returns for their produce. He mentioned that the upcoming Mother Dairy processing plant, once operational, will assist in opening new gateways for the farmers of Vidarbha & Marathwada. In order to replicate the success of the dairy development program, Shri Gadkari urged NDDB and Mother Dairy to explore possible avenues for the fruits & vegetables and edible oils grown in the region, with the help of Safal and Dhara brands.

Gadkari also lauded the efforts of the Government of Maharashtra for giving this opportunity to NDDB-Mother Dairy and constantly working towards the betterment of the region's milk producers. He said that the Government of India is equally enthusiastic about the dairying transformation taking place in these regions.

Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Hon’ble Minister for Revenue, Animal Husbandry & Dairy Development, Government of Maharashtra, stated that the dairy development project being undertaken in Vidarbha and Marathwada has indeed provided a new ray of hope to the dairy farmers of the region.

Patil highlighted that earlier, the dairy farmers of the region were deprived of remunerative returns, leading them to venture out of the dairying business, but with NDDB-Mother Dairy foraying into the region, the situation has drastically changed. He also mentioned that milk production has started increasing because of this dairy development project, which used to be nil, and envisioning such a change is commendable. He emphasized that the Government of Maharashtra will support expanding this dairy development project into many more districts.

On the occasion, Dr. Meenesh Shah, chairman, National Dairy Development Board, highlighted the interventions and plans of NDDB and Mother Dairy for dairy development in Vidarbha and Marathwada, and stressed on the importance of the livestock and dairy sectors for the socio-economic development of the rural sector. He informed that as an outcome of the Vidarbha-Marathwada Dairy Development Project, the average milk procurement in the region stands at around 3 lakh liters per day, aiding around 30,000 farmers from over 3000 villages in 11 districts, and benefits to the tune of around Rs. 2000 crores have been accrued to the dairy farmers of the region for their produce.

Manish Bandlish, managing director, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt. Ltd., said that Mother Dairy has established a robust procurement network and a strong booth/retail presence, and the organization is further fortifying the entire value chain in the region with the new plant. The proposed state-of-the-art Nagpur milk processing plant will mark Mother Dairy's 5th facility in the Western region, complementing its existing plants in Gujarat and Maharashtra while emphasizing its commitment to grow beyond Delhi NCR, specifically focusing on the Western markets.

The proposed facility is amongst the largest dairy processing facilities of Mother Dairy and will house modern technology and infrastructure. The products manufactured from here will be distributed and marketed across various parts of the country.