Mehsana Dairy Cooperative: Birthplace of India's White Revolution

Mehsana district is the historical heartland of India's cooperative dairy revolution. The Dudhsagar Dairy at Mehsana, established in 1960s, became part of the GCMMF (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation), the cooperative that markets under the Amul brand. Mehsana's Kankrej cattle and Murrah buffalo farmers formed milk producer cooperatives in village after village during the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union (KDCMPUL) expansion phase of the 1950s-60s. The cooperative model pioneered by Dr Verghese Kurien at nearby Anand and replicated in Mehsana gave farmers negotiating power, eliminated intermediaries, and directed profits back to producers. Today Dudhsagar Dairy at Mehsana is one of India's largest dairy plants, processing over 2 million litres per day. The cooperative has transformed the rural economy of Mehsana, funding schools, hospitals, and infrastructure in member villages.