Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, inaugurated the Sabar Dairy Plant in Rohtak, Haryana, on Friday, describing it as a major step towards strengthening India’s dairy sector and ensuring the welfare of milk producers. The plant, the largest in the country for producing curd, buttermilk, and yogurt, was built at a cost of about ₹350 crore and will supply dairy products across the Delhi–National Capital Region.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled the decades-old demand of farmers to establish a separate Ministry of Cooperation. In the past four years, the Ministry, together with state governments, has strengthened the foundation of cooperatives, and I am confident that by 2029, every panchayat will have a cooperative society.”
He underlined the growth of India’s dairy sector under Prime Minister Modi, noting, “In the last 11 years, India’s milk production has risen from 146 million tonnes to 239 million tonnes, and production from indigenous cows has increased from 29 million tonnes to 50 million tonnes. Today, eight crore farmers are directly linked to the dairy sector, and per capita milk availability has risen from 124 grams to 471 grams.”
The Union Minister highlighted the scale of production at the Sabar Plant, which will produce 150 metric tonnes of curd, 10 metric tonnes of yogurt, 3 lakh litres of buttermilk, and 10,000 kilograms of sweets daily. He noted that the plant will serve farmers not only in Haryana but also in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
Shah also referred to the success of Gujarat’s dairy cooperatives, stating, “In Gujarat, 35 lakh women carry out an annual business worth ₹85,000 crore through cooperative dairies. Scientific innovations in breeding technologies, biogas, beekeeping, and organic farming implemented in Gujarat should now be replicated in Haryana to benefit local farmers.”
On Haryana’s performance, Shah said the State consistently ranks between first and third in per capita milk availability. He added, “Under White Revolution 2.0, more than 75,000 dairy societies will be established nationwide, and 46,000 existing cooperative societies will be strengthened. Our current milk processing capacity of 660 lakh litres per day will increase to 100 million litres by 2028–29, directly benefiting our farmer mothers and sisters engaged in milk production.”
The Minister also outlined government initiatives such as the National Gokul Mission, National Artificial Insemination Program, Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund, and the National Animal Disease Control Program. He emphasized that India aims to become self-reliant in dairy plant construction and related research and development, accelerating production and innovation to support farmers and strengthen the cooperative sector.