Efforts to Make Saras a World-Class Brand in Dairy Products — Minister of Animal Husbandry and Dairy

Jaipur : Minister of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Shri Jorararam Kumawat stated that Saras products have gained a unique recognition across the country due to their quality and purity. He emphasized that, as per the vision of Chief Minister Shri Bhajanlal Sharma, every possible effort is being made to make Saras a world-class brand in the dairy products sector.

Shri Kumawat was chairing a review meeting of the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation Limited (RCDF) at the Secretariat on Thursday. He instructed the RCDF officials to increase production of Saras products that are in high demand while maintaining special attention to quality during production.

The Animal Husbandry and Dairy Minister further stated that strict action would be taken against those involved in producing and selling low-quality products under the Saras name, and continuous inspections will be carried out. He also directed that the budget announcements of the department be implemented on time with regular monitoring to provide relief to livestock farmers.

Economic Support Through Cooperative Dairies
Shri Samit Sharma, Secretary of the Animal Husbandry Department, mentioned that cooperative dairies provide not only economic support to farmers and livestock keepers but also a large number of employment opportunities. Therefore, efforts will be made to quickly fill vacant positions in all cooperative unions and approve new positions in new unions.

Impressive Progress in Saras Product Sales
Shri Shruti Bhardwaj, Managing Director of RCDF, informed the meeting that the Federation has achieved unprecedented progress in the sale of Saras products this year compared to the previous year. The sales of white butter have increased by 757% in the year 2024-25, while sweets have seen a 38% rise, ghee by 21%, flavored milk by 20%, and fresh products by 18%. She also shared that the various unions and RCDF have earned over ₹400 crore this year, marking a 34% increase compared to last year.

Additionally, it was reported that more than ₹129 crore has been earned from the cattle feed sale, marking a 73% increase from the previous year. In line with the 2024-25 budget announcements, 1,362 dairy booths have been allocated, and over 1,000 applicants have been made Saras Friends.

Innovations Making Dairy Producers’ Path Easier
The meeting also discussed various innovations undertaken by RCDF. In the area of milk collection, RCDF launched the “Saras Amritam Abhiyan” on September 11, 2024, to ensure the quality of milk being collected. Mobile vans and other resources are used for surprise inspections at cooperative milk collection centers to check the quality of the milk. A mobile number (7610000671) has been issued for this initiative, and so far, 9,182 samples have been collected and tested with 5,820 surprise inspections conducted.

Similarly, the district milk unions affiliated with RCDF regularly run the “Doodh Ka Doodh, Pani Ka Pani” campaign to raise consumer awareness about milk quality. Under this campaign, temporary testing centers have been set up in various areas to collect milk samples from consumers for free testing. A total of 15,060 samples have been tested under this initiative.

Saras Self-Employment Scheme 2024
For the first time, young people, women, and self-help groups are being provided with Saras booth parlors, cafes, and shop agencies through online applications via e-mitr to enable them to join Saras and earn a livelihood. A total of 12,265 applications were received, of which 8,250 have been approved.

Innovative “One District, One Dairy Product” Initiative During Diwali
During the Diwali festival, an innovative initiative was launched where more than 125 metric tons of pure sweets made from Saras milk and ghee were sold across the state, based on the “One District, One Dairy Product” model. The most popular sweets were Alwar’s milk cake and Bikaner’s rasgullas and sonpapdis. A policy has been implemented to bring uniformity and transparency in the allocation of BMEs across all district milk unions.

Large-Scale Establishment of Bio-Flexi Plants
Shri Kumawat mentioned that bio-flexi plants are being established at large scales in Jaipur Dairy, Bhilwara Dairy, and Ganganagar Dairy. Under the Myara Scheme, a grant of ₹21,000 is provided for girls’ marriages. Dairy committees are being diversified, with activities such as ghee, animal feed, micro ATMs, fertilizer sales, and Saras mini-marts being added.

The meeting was attended by officials of the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation Limited.