The West Assam Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Limited (WAMUL), the largest dairy co-operative brand name in Assam is creating waves by attending national and international competitions and Summit recently. In October, it attended the Co-operative Dairy Conclave 2022 of the eastern and northeast region held in Sikkim this month. In the month of September, it attended the prestigious International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit 2022.
Established in 1976 and registered in 1981, the West Assam Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Limited (WAMUL) is popularly known by its brand name Purabi Dairy , which is a household name in Assam.
WAMUL has been following a similar business model to that of the Anand Milk Union Limited (AMUL). However, the project is not simply a profit-making entity. It has come up with a channel to provide livelihood opportunities to people both in rural and urban areas, particularly encouraging rural women farmers of Assam. The farmers are first trained and made stakeholders in the operation. WAMUL provides them with training, fodder support, medicine, vaccine, and training for up keeping of the animal.
First, the farmers collect the milk and deposit it in a cooperative formed by WAMUL exclusively for collection and testing.
Bonti Deka, a woman farmer in Chatabari village near Jagiroad in Morigaon District and President of Lakhimi Gopalak Dugdha Utpadak Samabai Samity says that the process has helped them a lot to earn their living. They get training support, fodder support, veterinary help, medicinal training support, marketing support, and financial support from WAMUL. This was not there till a few years back.
Poornima Deka, Secretary of the same co-operative stated that they have been associated with Purabi Dairy for the last 16 years.
The co-operative collects a total of 100-150 litre of milk per day. Each farmer earns at least Rs. 8000 to Rs. 10,000 per month.
WAMUL’s Milk Procurement Officer of Morigaon District, Sailyajit Buragohain claimed that they prefer to give the farmers a permanent market so that they can earn even during the lean season. Apart from the price of the procured milk, they also provide bonuses to the farmers at the end of the year.
In the same cooperative, there are machines to test for adulteration.
From there the milk is taken to the Bulk Milk Cooling centre where it is frozen at 4 Degrees Celcius. From the BMC the milk goes to the fully automated dairy plant located at Panjabari, Guwahati. The dairy processing unit currently has a pasteurizer (5KLPH and 10 KLPH). A homogenizer (5KLPH) and a cream separator (5KLPH). The plant also has a number of automated machines like a can washer crate washer, milk pumps, storage tanks, boiler, refrigeration plant, and automated cup-filling machine. WAMUL takes special care of the maintenance of hygiene in the plant by cleansing it with a caustic soda solution, steam, and boiled water twice a day. Apart from the liquid milk, the same is also processed and sold as ghee, paneer, butter, and other dairy products.
WAMUL treats the inner layer of its product packaging material with Ultra Violet Rays for sterilization, ensuring zero contamination.
The project is funded under World Bank Financed Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART).
Apart from the support to the farmers, WAMUL has also trained entrepreneurs for providing grass (Napier grass) to the poultry farmers. Many entrepreneurs came forward to be trained.
For cow along with balance cattle feed also need good quality grasses. But if they consume from the roadside or any grass available in the nearby field it impacts the quality of milk. But the consumption of Napier grass has improved both the quantity and quality of milk produced. The cost of production has also decreased.
From Morigaon district, about 1000 farmers have benefitted from this initiative by doubling as fodder growers and suppliers, earning Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 22,000 per month.
The Veterinary Executive of WAMUL, Dr. Purabi Gogoi stated that the cooperative is involved in another extension activity by creating urea-treated paddy straw, also called UTPS. In this process, hay is mixed with a mineral mixture and jaggery to form paddy straw which is kept for 21 days. This increases the protein percentage of the straw from 1-2 percent to 6-7 percent. This same straw can be now fed to the cow.
"Now farmers are themselves coming forward to avail such opportunities. This has become a beneficial supplement in case of scarcity of other means of protein or fodder. It improves the health condition of the cows as well," said Dr. Gogoi.
Gogoi so added that they have adopted model dairy villages in various locations in Morigaon since 2019. WAMUL organizes health camps to sensitize farmers about dairy-related diseases and provide necessary training. They have adopted ethno-veterinary practices which use medicinal plants like turmeric, aloe vera, etc. for treating the cows.
The co-operatives are also visited by workers and doctors for artificial insemination of the cow. It produces good quality breed that helps in producing more quantity of milk.
Apart from marketing pasteurized and homogenized milk, every milk product is made from the same milk and packaged through machines to provide maximum purity.
According to the Managing Director of WAMUL, Satya Brata Bose, it earned a revenue of Rs. 1,53,00,00,000 in the FY 2021-22, which is expected to rise to RS.2,00,00,00,000 in the present fiscal.
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