Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat on Saturday visited several modern production and processing facilities of Banas Dairy in Palanpur, underlining the cooperative’s pivotal role in empowering farmers and livestock rearers while strengthening the rural economy of the state.
The visit was attended by Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary and State Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani, along with senior officials of Banas Dairy, who provided a detailed overview of the cooperative’s operations, technological advancements, and farmer-centric initiatives.
During the inspection, Governor Devvrat reviewed the advanced cheese manufacturing unit, paneer plant, large-scale milk processing facilities, and other value-added product units. Officials explained the dairy’s production processes, stringent quality control systems, and adoption of modern technologies aimed at enhancing efficiency and ensuring consistent product quality.
Commending Banas Dairy’s performance, the Governor noted that the cooperative model has played a decisive role in increasing farmers’ incomes and making livestock rearers more self-reliant. He observed that Banas Dairy has successfully demonstrated how collective effort, supported by technology and sound governance, can deliver sustainable economic benefits to rural communities.
Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary described Banas Dairy as a key pillar of Banaskantha district’s economic development. He pointed out that continuous expansion, diversification into value-added products, and operational innovation have generated employment opportunities and provided stable income streams for thousands of farmers and cattle rearers in the region.
Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani stated that by integrating modern technology with cooperative values, Banas Dairy is elevating Gujarat’s dairy sector to new standards. He added that the cooperative’s operations are directly benefiting lakhs of livestock rearers and contributing significantly to rural development across the state.
The Governor also visited the Banas Dairy-operated food complex at Badarpura, where he inspected the oil mill plant and grain processing units. He reviewed production workflows, quality benchmarks, and the scale of employment generation at the complex, highlighting its role in diversifying rural economic activity.
At an Ayurvedic medicine manufacturing unit run by the dairy, Governor Devvrat examined traditional formulations developed to prevent sudden livestock diseases and appreciated the focus on animal health protection. He later observed operations at the THR (Take Home Ration) unit supplying nutritious food to anganwadi centres, noting its importance for child nutrition and public health.
Further, the Governor visited the Honey Facility Centre to understand honey processing, laboratory testing, and quality assurance systems. Discussions focused on the potential of natural honey production to enhance rural incomes. At the potato tissue culture laboratory, he reviewed initiatives aimed at producing high-quality seeds using modern techniques to reduce cultivation costs and improve farm profitability.
Throughout the visit, Governor Devvrat interacted with officials and technical experts, offering guidance on strengthening existing services and ensuring effective implementation of future projects. The visit reaffirmed Banas Dairy’s position as a model cooperative institution driving inclusive growth, technological adoption, and sustainable development in India’s dairy sector.
