Amul MD Sodhi supports Tripura CM on cow rearing issue

Ahmedabad, May 2: In endorsement of Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb’s advice to the youth to rear cows than running after a government job, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) Chief R S Sodhi said that the Chief Minister has given a practical suggestion that will end unemployment.

Sodhi, who is Managing Director of GCMMF popularly known as AMUL, said that the dairy sector is very lucrative, and can provide good income to many educated youth as well. He said that GCMMF is the largest food products marketing organization and has a turnover of Rs 40,000 crore.

The young Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Deb advised the youth to generate income by rearing cows, pigs or poultry birds. His suggestion came under sharp criticism from the anti-BJP parties, leaders and journalists who said that the government should talk of generating employment instead of giving such suggestions. Prominent amongst the critics was Rajdeep Sardesai, the self-acclaimed progressive journalist who ridiculed the chief minister for such a suggestion.

But Sodhi backed the Chief Minister and said that cow or buffalo rearing is a much better option, especially in a state like Tripura which imports milk worth crores of rupees per year despite having favourable geographical conditions for dairy sector.

He told a news agency that the advice of the Chief Minister was practical one. People in Tripura do not have many job opportunities. If the educated youth of Gujarat and Punjab can take to cow rearing in a commercial way, why can’t those in Tripura do the same?

Educated youth run over 8000 commercial dairy farms in Gujarat. There are many central and state schemes that can help them in setting up dairy business. Cow rearing is the best option to solve the problem of joblessness in the rural areas, Sodhi said.

Earlier Sodhi had tweeted in support of Chief Minister Biplab Deb’s remarks.

“It is a very practical and logical idea as Tripura is importing crores of rupees worth milk from other states including Gujarat. A youth can earn Rs 6-7 lakh per annum by rearing 10 cows or buff by taking loan from banks… in Gujarat (there are) more than 8000 such farms,” Sodhi tweeted in response to some critical tweets targeted at Deb.

To make his point, Sodhi also tweeted a photo of a woman farmer receiving an award from Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Chairman of Banas Dairy Shankar Chaudhary at a function here for depositing milk worth lakhs of rupees.

“Cow breeding can be a very remunerative business. Today, Kanuben Patel of Banaskantha district of Gujarat was awarded Pride of Gujarat by CM Gujarat and Shri Shankarbhai Chaudhary, Chairman Banas Dairy for pouring milk worth Rs 84 lacs in a year. Good source of livelihood,” Sodhi said in his tweet.

He also cautioned that if educated youths do not come into the dairy sector, India may have to import milk like the crude oil.

Asked about his tweets, Sodhi said, “I responded on Twitter as people were making fun of dairy sector, as if it is meant for only uneducated persons. They do not understand that it’s a very remunerative business and many educated youths are earning good income out of it. This is certainly a better option than to do a mundane job.”

He added that the entire dairy product business in India stands at Rs 6 lakh crore and is growing at a healthy rate of 10-12 per cent per annum, which makes it a good business.