New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurates and lays the foundation stone of multiple projects of Sabar Dairy at Gadhoda Chowki, Sabarkantha amid the Centre's bid to boost the rural economy, support local farmers, and milk producers.
Speaking at the event, PM Modi emphasised that his government has been making sustained efforts to increase the annual income of farmers over last 8 years, which is showing results.
"Promotion of cattle-rearing, fisheries, honey production has increased income of farmers," he mentioned, as per news agency PTI.
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Talking about Sabar Dairy, he said: "Today Sabar Dairy has expanded. New projects worth hundreds of crores are being set up here. Sabar Dairy's capacity will increase further with the addition of a milk powder plant with modern technology and one more line in the A-septic packing section.
PM Modi further mentioned that the work of the formation of 10,000 Farmer Producer Associations (FPOs) is going on in full swing. "Through this, small farmers will be able to directly connect with the food processing, value-linked export, and supply chain. It will benefit the farmers of Gujarat," he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
According to him, through the launch of technology-driven projects at Sabar Dairy, the Union government will be able to support farmers and milk producers and help boost the rural economy. "With new projects worth hundreds of crores being set up here, Sabar Dairy's capacity will increase further with the addition of a milk powder plant. The dairy sector has been a major contributor to the growth of the rural economy in India," the former Gujarat chief minister said.
"Till 2014, less than 400 million liters of ethanol was being produced in the country. Today, it is reaching around 400 crore liters. Our government has also given Kisan Credit Cards to more than 3 crore farmers by running a special campaign in the last 2 years," he mentioned.
Talking about the recent single-use plastic ban, PM Modi stressed that "Plastic has become an enemy for our cattle. Previously, 15-20 kgs of plastic used to come out of animals' stomachs when they died. This is one of the reasons why we are working towards eliminating plastic use from India."
He also spoke about the government's initiatives for the tribal community: "Our government has declared the birth anniversary of Lord Birsa Munda Ji on 15th November as Tribal Pride Day. Our government is also building a special museum in the memory of tribal freedom fighters across the country."
"For the first time, the country's daughter coming from tribal society has reached the highest constitutional post of India. The country has made Ms Draupadi Murmu its President.This is a proud moment for over 130 crore Indians," PM Modi said mentioning the newly sworn-in President.
PM Modi Inaugurates 120 MTPD Powder Manufacturing Plant At Sabar Dairy
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 120 MTPD Powder manufacturing plant at Sabar Dairy in Sabarkantha.
As a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), "A key focus of the government has been boosting the rural economy and making agriculture and allied activities more productive" and the new projects will "empower local farmers and milk producers and increase their income." "This will also give a boost to the rural economy in the region," PMO informed.
PM Modi inaugurated the Powder Plant at Sabar Dairy with a capacity of around 120 metric tonnes per day (MTPD). The total cost of the entire project is more than Rs. 300 crores. The layout of the plant meets global food safety standards. "It is highly energy efficient with almost zero emission. The plant is equipped with the latest and fully automated bulk packing line," PMO stated.
Sabar Dairy is a part of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which makes and markets a whole range of milk and milk products under the Amul brand.
PM Modi is also slated to visit India's maiden International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) on Friday.