New Delhi: Keeping the Indian Tricolour high in the arena of World Dairy Summit currently underway at Chicago, Shreeja, an Indian Women Dairy Organisation at the foothills of Lord Balaji temple Tirupati, received the award for Innovation in women empowerment in the Dairy Sector at a grand ceremony in Chicago, the United States last night.
Receiving the award on behalf of an impressive over 120,000 women dairy farmers, Chief Executive Officer of Shreeja Mahila Milk Producer Company (SMMPCL) Jayatheertha Chary “It is the proudest movement for women dairy farmers of the country and the organisation to get the honour on a global platform for empowerment of women dairy farmers.
“It behoves the world’s largest women base in the dairy industry for implementing several initiatives and programs aimed at enhancing women leadership and empowering them within the dairy sector,” he said.
Secretary (AHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Ms. Alka Upadhyaya was present on the occasion. Expressing her happiness on the award, she congratulated NDDB, NDDB Dairy Services and Shreeja Milk for the achievement and encouraged them to continue with the pathbreaking efforts.
Chairman NDDB & NDDB Dairy Services (NDS) Dr Meenesh Shah who got elected to the Board of International Dairy Federation (IDF) as a delegate of the General Assembly, said “Women have played an integral part in the success of dairying in India and it was only a matter of time before their contributions get acknowledged in the global stage. This year, IDF released its first Women in Dairy report which features 15 case studies from across the globe, of which 4 case studies are of Shreeja, Sakhi, Asha and Paayas, the producer organizations technically supported by us.”
NDS has helped facilitated formation of 22 Milk Producers’ Organisations, including Shreeja, with focus on women empowerment in the dairy sector with infusion of latest technology, online payment mechanism and enhancing productivity of indigenous breeds of milch animals.”
An exuberant Smt. K Sreedevi, Shreeja Chairperson said, “This global recognition and award at the international stage is enthusing and humbling for each of over 1.20 lakh women dairy farmer members and their families and we owe it also to the support provided by the NDS for taking us where we are today. This will spur us to work harder and expand aggressively in the states where we are operating from.”
Shreeja was among the three entities nominated from India for the award besides another all-women milk producer company supported by NDS, Asha Mahila Milk Producer Company Limited from Udaipur in Rajasthan and Gujarat Milk and Marketing Cooperative Federation.
Currently the company, spread across 11 districts of 3 states (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Tamil Nadu) with an average milk procurement of 5.5 LLPD and hoping to touch a turnover of ₹1,000 crore this fiscal, he said. SMMPCL is eying at women membership of 1.5 lakh, milk procurement of 6.5 LLPD and joining the ‘Unicorn’ club shortly, Mr Chary said.
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