Anand is India's largest milk producing district and the largest producer of buffalo milk in India. It is situated in the cooperative belt of North Gujarat. Not many people know of the rich history of this district and as we delve deep into its past, we find it to be fascinating in many ways. This blog will share 7 things that you may not know about the district of Anand.
I. Backstory of the Founder
The man behind the making of the Milk Capital of India- Anand was Dr. Verghese Kurien. Born in Kozhikode of Kerala in 1921, Kurien's father was civil surgeon Dr. P.K. Kurien. When he was 22 years old, his father died. His uncle guided him to join the Tata Steel Technical Institute of Jamshedpur. But he wanted to establish himself independently and realized his interest in diary engineering.
Turning point came when he started serving as a officer in diary division of experimental creamery at Anand in Bombay Province (present-day Gujarat) in 1949. On weekends, he began volunteering with first-stage dairy setup of Tribhuvandas Patel, who took his help to process the milk collected from farmers and formed a cooperative unit at Kaira (present name Kheda).
Soon, he decided to leave his government job in Anand for better opportunity. But Tribhuvandas Patel convinced him to join him in setting up a cooperative unit in Anand. They established the dairy cooperative, called as Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producer's Union Limited KDCMPUL, also known as Amul in Anand in 1950. Interesting backstory, right? Plan your holidays, book hourly hotel in Anand and visit this iconic city of Amul.
II. Launch of Amul & 'Operation Flood'
By the cooperative dairy model, Late Dr. Kurien wanted to help dairy farmers grow. For he believed in the philosophy that diary farmers were the rightful owners of the dairy business, not the middlemen.
The cooperative unit procured milk from the farmers and paid them as per the milk's quality. Then, the collected milk was being transferred to the chiller unit nearby and then proceed towards the process of pasteurization. Then, after cooling and packing was done, the packets were distributed. The same process has been continued till date. 'Amulya' word was first suggested, as the hindi meaning being priceless. Coinicidently, the full form of the word 'AMUL' is Anand Milk Union Limited. That's how Amul was launched in Anand in 1949.
Dr. Kurien decided to replicate the Anand model all over India. He launched 'Flood Operation'. Now, the same Anand model had started in other milk producing states where farmers were the real owners. The model had started benefiting the farmers of Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. By 1955, AMUL became the Asia's first cooperative-owned dairy that was producing 10,000 litres of milk per day! Soon, the so-called village Anand now became the status of Milk Capital of India. So, when are you visiting the historic city of Anand? Plan your holidays and book hourly hotel in Anand from MiStay so that you get the option of flexible check-in facility.
III. Excellent Marketing Strategy of Dr. Kurien
Dr. Verghese Kurien had an outstanding marketing skills. He decided to market 'Amul Success Story' as a testing model in management for rural institutes. In 1964, he invited Shri Lal Bahadur Shashtri (then Prime Minister of India) to inaugurate the new feed plant of Amul. The plant was sourcing milk from nearby villages & hence, uplifting the economic conditions of farmers. Hence, Dr. Kurien set up a national milk grid under the Flood Operation setup. These national grids ensured that milk from surplus milk areas reach the deficit milk areas.
For national milk grid programmes, Dr. Kurien was responsible for establishing around 30 educational institutes, like AMUL, GCMMF (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation), NDDB (National Dairy Development Board), IRMA (Institute of Rural Management Anand),etc. These institutes helped rural masses to get skill-oriented training and improve their socio-economic conditions. Sounds so remarkable in the history of India? So, plan your vacations this time to Anand. Book your rooms in hourly hotel in Anand for your cost-effective stay.
IV. Asia's Largest Milk Cooperative - Administrative center
By 1955, the Amul cooperative was producing more than 20,000 litres of milk every day and became the Asia's largest dairy. Currently, Amul has 12 million farmers at 200 dairies all over India producing 20 million litres of milk every day. This way, Amul has become Asia's top milk producing cooperative. Anand, being the administrative center of Anand district, is popularly called as the 'milk capital of India'. Fascinating, right? Plan your trip, schedule hourly hotel in Anand and visit this city.
V. Tourist attractions in Anand
Interestingly, Anand as a city not only has seen its own development from a small village to a city, but also gifted with many natural attractions. You can visit Swami Narayan temple, Amul dairy, Amul chocolate factory, Iskcon temple, Kailash Nath Mahadev temple, Mata Teki, Patel Santan Hira Lal temple, and Shri Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Sardar Patel and Vithalbhai Patel Memorial. So, when are you visiting? Plan your holidays, book hourly hotel in Anand from MiStay so that you can avail slot-based booking and save on your trip.
Final Words
Milk is considered to be the best form of nourishment for a new born child. It's not only nutritious but also beneficial for building a strong immune system. The milk produced in Anand is one of the most nutritious milk products in India. In fact, the milk produced in Anand has been awarded the "Dairy Farm of Excellence Award" and is today considered as the "Milk Capital of India".