In last-minute surprise, Kurien backer Ramsinh Parmar elected GCMMF chairman

Parmar’s election came as a surprise as till Sunday name of former BJP minister Shankar Chaudhary was doing the rounds for the post of GCMMF chairman. “The BJP has decided to engage Chaudhary for other responsibilities, which is why Ramsinh Parmar was unanimously elected as the chairman,” said Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, who along with Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel were told to oversee the elections by the state government.

Parmar’s election comes at a crucial time when a global crash in demand for milk powder combined with surplus supply of milk led the GCMMF to lower procurement prices from dairies in Kutch and Saurashtra. His first challenge will be to mollify milk producers who are miffed over the lowered procurement prices.

“It is not true that milk producers are miffed with the GCMMF over procurement rates. It is just a passing phase and we are working on improving the situation given that there have been some surplus procurement. Even right now, milk producers in Gujarat are receiving the highest returns as compared to other states,” Parmar told The Indian Express after his election as GCMMF chairperson. “I will ensure that all stakeholders come together to ensure that all the dairy co-operatives develop and milk producers get the right price for their produce,” he added.

In 2016-17, the turnover of GCMMF was Rs 38,000 crore. It procures approximately 18 million litres of milk daily from 18,549 village milk cooperative societies that are part of the 18 member unions in 33 districts of Gujarat.

Parmar had supported Verghese Kurien, founder of Amul and “father of white revolution”, during his struggle to keep the political class away from having control over the GCMMF until 2006. He said that his aim was to uplift women milk producers to carry forward the vision of Dr Kurien.

Parmar had been trying to make his way to the top post after being the chairman of Anand Dairy for 33 years, but could not do so during his stint in the Congress. “I am happy over getting elected as chairman today and the goal of the GCMMF will be to increase the turnover to Rs 50,000 crore by 2020 as well as increased capability to handle milk production… I will ensure that all stakeholders come together to ensure that all the dairy co-operatives develop, and milk producers get the right price for their produce,” he added.

Parmar’s name for the post of chairman was proposed by former BJP minister Shankar Chaudhary, chairman of Banas Dairy and one of the frontrunners for the post, and was backed by Valamji Humbal, chairman of Kutch District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd. The former Congress MLA from Thasara in Kheda district had lost the seat after contesting on a BJP ticket last December. He succeeds Jetha Patel, head of Sabar Dairy, who held the post since August 2014.

The name of Bharwad, who has been the chairman of Panchmahal District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd since 2009, was proposed for the post of vice-charman by outgoing chairman Jetha Patel, Chudasama told reporters.

(With PTI inputs from Anand)