THE KAIRA DISTRICT CO-OPERATIVE MILK PRODUCERS’ UNION LIMITED ANAND

INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY

                    In the year 1946 the first milk union was established. This union was started with 250 liters of milk per day. In the year 1955 AMUL was established. In the year 1946 the union was known as KAIRA DISTRICT CO-OPERATIVE MILK PRODUCERS’ UNION. This union selected the brand name AMUL in 1955.

                  The brand name Amul means “AMULYA”. This word derived form the Sanskrit word “AMULYA” which means “priceless”. A quality control expert in Anand had suggested the brand name “AMUL”. Amul products have been in use in millions of homes since 1946. Amul Butter, Amul Milk Powder, Amul Ghee, Amulspray, Amul Cheese, Amul Chocolates, Amul Shrikhand, Amul Ice cream, Nutramul, Amul Milk and Amulya have made Amul a leading food brand in India. (The total sale is Rs. 6 billion in 2005). Today Amul is a symbol of many things like of the high-quality products sold at reasonable prices, of the genesis of a vast co-operative network, of the triumph of indigenous technology, of the marketing savvy of a farmers' organization. And have a proven model for dairy development (Generally known as “ANAND PATTERN”).

                  In the early 40’s, the main sources of earning for the farmers of Kaira district were farming and selling of milk. That time there was high demand for milk in Bombay. The main supplier of the milk was Polson dairy limited, which was a privately owned company and held monopoly over the supply of milk at Bombay from the Kaira district.  This system leads to exploitation of poor and illiterates’ farmers by the private traders. The traders used to beside the prices of milk and the farmers were forced to accept it without uttering a single word.

                  However, when the exploitation became intolerable, the farmers were frustrated. They collectively appealed to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was a leading activist in the freedom movement. Sardar Patel advised the farmers to sell the milk on their own by establishing a co-operative union, Instead of supplying milk to private traders. Sardar Patel sent the farmers to Shri Morarji Desai in order to gain his co-operation and help. Shri Desai held a meeting at Samarkha village near Anand, on 4^th January 1946. He advised the farmers to form a society for collection of the milk.