Gandhinagar: Gujarat has emerged as a key player in the cooperative sector nationwide, with the state’s animal husbandry farmers prospering and women becoming self-reliant, inspiring society. One such success story is that of Maniben from Banaskantha, who ranked second in the district by selling milk worth ₹1.94 crore in 2024-25. This year, she is aiming for a target of ₹3 crore in milk sales, an official press release said.

In Kasara village of Kankrej taluka, 65-year-old Maniben Jesung Chaudhary supplies 1,100 liters of milk daily to the local The Patelvas (Kasara) Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society. In 2024-25, she supplied 3,47,180 liters of milk worth ₹1,94,05,047, earning her second place in the “Best Banas Lakshmi” category in Banaskantha district. She was honored with a certificate of recognition at the recently held general meeting in Badarpura, Banaskantha.

Preparation to Buy 100 Additional Buffaloes This Year

Maniben aims to take her success further. Her youngest son, Vipul, shared, “With proper guidance from Banas Dairy, we are progressing well in this field. In 2011, we had only 10 to 12 cows and buffaloes, which has now grown to over 230. At present, we have 140 adult buffaloes, 90 cows, and about 70 calves. This year, we plan to purchase 100 more buffaloes to boost milk production. By the end of the year, we are preparing to sell milk worth over ₹3 crore.”

To support this, her family has set up sheds for the care of their cattle. They rear Banni, Mehsani, and Murrah breeds of buffaloes, along with HF cows and four indigenous Kankrej breed cows.

16 Families Gain Employment, Modern Machinery Boosts Milking Operations

Currently, about 16 families are associated with Maniben in animal husbandry activities. Milking of cows and buffaloes is carried out with modern machinery, while family members actively contribute to every aspect of the work, setting an example of Aatmanirbharta. Vipul noted, “All three of us brothers are graduates and fully engaged in this work. As incomes in animal husbandry continue to rise, many young people will be encouraged to take up this profession.”

Around 4,150 of 16,000 Cooperative Societies in the State Managed by Women

Women play a pivotal role in Gujarat’s animal husbandry sector through dairy cooperatives and self-help groups. Of the state’s 16,000-plus milk producers’ cooperative societies, around 4,150 are managed by women. Out of more than 36 lakh members across Gujarat, over 11 lakh are women. Their contribution is particularly noteworthy in large dairies such as Banas Dairy, which collects nearly 90 lakh liters of milk daily, where women in animal husbandry play a remarkable role. In Banas Dairy, many women members have enhanced their economic stability by supplying milk worth over ₹50 lakh annually. DeshGujarat