Anand (Gujarat), Feb 11 (IANS) The recent trade agreements of India with the United States and the European Union are expected to benefit the domestic dairy sector while protecting millions of small and marginal farmers, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the launch of ‘Amul AI’, an artificial intelligence-driven platform for the dairy sector, he said the agreements exclude dairy product imports, securing the livelihoods of over 10 crore milk producers.

“The Prime Minister’s decision to keep dairy outside the free trade agreements will protect small farmers and livestock rearers. This will allow India’s dairy sector to increase milk production and move steadily towards becoming the world’s dairy hub,” Patel said.

The launch programme was organised in Anand, marking the beginning of a new technological and digital revolution in the cooperative dairy sector.

Amul, recognised as a leading cooperative institution globally, connects 36 lakh milk producers across more than 18,500 villages in Gujarat.

Amul AI integrates data from farmers, cooperative members, and the dairy ecosystem into an advanced IT system, enabling smarter decision-making and modernising agriculture, animal husbandry, and dairy operations.

Patel highlighted provisions in the current Union Budget, including special allocations to train 20,000 veterinary professionals and strengthen the dairy ecosystem.

He also emphasised the Prime Minister’s vision for technology-driven development, citing the widespread adoption of UPI digital payments as an example, which now extends from small vendors to large traders.

The Chief Minister said the AI platform would further strengthen the cooperative ecosystem and support “Advantage India” by integrating advanced technology with traditional dairy practices.

Gujarat Assembly Speaker and Banas Dairy Chairman Shankar Chaudhary said Anand is historically significant as the birthplace and karmabhoomi of Tribhuvandas Patel, pioneer of the White Revolution, and Dr Verghese Kurien.

He described the newly launched ‘Sarala’ app as a global first, enabling milk fat, SNF (Solids-Not-Fat), and daily accounts to be accessed via mobile.

“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for standing firm against international pressure to protect Indian livestock rearers and domestic dairy,” he said.

Adding further, he said, “If foreign milk had entered the Indian market, it would have adversely affected millions of livestock rearers. However, the Prime Minister protected the interests of Indian livestock rearers by keeping dairy products out of free trade agreements.”

Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Jitu Vaghani called the launch of Amul AI a historic moment, noting that the platform is set to become the largest AI application in the global dairy sector.

He said it will provide rural producers with access to advanced technology and improve the efficiency and income of milk producers.

“About 94 per cent of payments are now directly deposited into the bank accounts of women livestock rearers, serving as an example of economic empowerment,” Vaghani noted.

–IANS

mys/uk