Dudhsagar Dairy: Jashiben heralds new era; elected Vice-Chairperson

In a bid to encourage women ascendance to power, the Board of Gujarat based Mehsana District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited (popularly known as Dudhsagar Dairy) has elected Smt Jashiben Desai as its Vice-Chairperson. She has been with the Dairy for more than two decades.

The post of Vice-Chairman had become vacant because Amratbhai Desai resigned from the post due to his personal reasons. And now the board has unanimously elected Smt. Desai as the Vice-Chairman of the said dairy.

It is no secret that the Amul dairy movement, started by legendary Verghese Kurien, was mostly shouldered by the women of the state. But there have been few cases when the women have also taken up the top leadership. Jashiben’s example could serve to inspire the women folks to move up in the ladder, felt co-operators.

One of the senior officials of the dairy said Desai has been associated with the dairy for more than two decades. She is representing one of the dudh mandalis located at Kasva village in Kadi Taluka in the Mehsana District of Gujarat.

Welcoming the news, GCMMF Managing Director Dr R S Sodhi wrote, “One big boost to women empowerment at @Amul_Coop When Smt Jashiben Desai of vill Kasva , was unanimously elected as Vice chairman of one of the biggest district union at Mehsana @dudhsagardairy She is pouring 150 litre milk daily in village coop society”.

Reacting to the social media post of Sodhi, one of the users wrote, ” Wow! So happy to know that these unsung heroes are getting recognized. Hope more village women will be encouraged under her leadership”.

Another user wrote, “The revolution in lives of rural women is a result of the foresight of Tribhuvan kaka, and pioneering work of Kurien, with huge Gujarati social ethos of support to each other. Remarkable”.

It bears recall that Dudhsagar Diary is one of the milk unions associated with GCMMF which sells milk and other milk products under the brand name Amul.

The dairy was established in 1960 with the noble intention of ensuring a fair return to the milk producers. It is a district level apex body of milk cooperative societies in the Mehsana District which aims to provide remunerative returns to milk producers’ and also to serve the interest of consumers by providing quality and safe milk and milk products which give good value for money.

The dairy has a total turnover of more than Rs. 5800 crore with more than 10 lakh farmer members in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana.