Women-led dairy societies expand across Gujarat

Women’s involvement in Gujarat’s dairy industry has grown across both milk collection and cooperative administration. The number of societies run by women has risen by 21% in five years, reaching 4,562 across the state.

One example is the Harsiddhnagar cooperative in Banaskantha. Managed by women, it handles the collection and testing of milk before sending roughly 2,000 litres each day to Banas Dairy.

Women account for nearly 1.2m of Gujarat’s 3.6m dairy producers. Their participation extends beyond production: close to 80,000 women are involved in the management of dairy cooperatives across the state.

Women-managed cooperatives now procure about 5.7m litres of milk per day. That volume is 39% higher than five years ago, according to the figures reported for Gujarat’s dairy sector.

Daily revenue generated by these cooperatives has increased from Rs 17 crore to Rs 25 crore. Their combined annual turnover has exceeded Rs 6,000 crore.

The reported expansion covers milk procurement, quality testing, supply operations and cooperative leadership. The figures place women at multiple stages of Gujarat’s dairy system, from production in rural households to the administration of cooperative organisations.