Shaikh Ansar Ahamad, Special Secretary, Government of West Bengal and Managing Director of the West Bengal Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Ltd., visited key institutions in Anand to gain insights into India’s successful cooperative dairy ecosystem and explore practices that could strengthen dairy cooperatives in West Bengal.
During his visit to the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Ahamad toured the organisation’s state-of-the-art Genomics and OPU-IVF laboratories, where he was briefed on advanced breeding and genomic technologies aimed at improving dairy productivity. He also visited the Sustainable Farm Management Demonstration Unit, which showcases resource-efficient and circular approaches to dairy farming.
He further visited NDDB CALF Ltd. and IDMC Ltd., wholly owned subsidiaries of NDDB, and gained an overview of advanced testing facilities, indigenous dairy technologies and manufacturing capabilities supporting the sector.
At Mujkuva, Ahamad interacted with dairy farmers and observed initiatives related to manure management, fodder development and the functioning of the Dairy Cooperative Society (DCS). The visit provided insights into farmer-centric practices that link milk producers with cooperative institutions at the grassroots level.
Ahamad also visited the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets dairy products under the Amul brand, and the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI). He gained an overview of cooperative milk procurement, processing and marketing systems and the efforts being made to strengthen the national dairy cooperative movement.
