India’s first camel milk plant records 4,754 litres daily

Sarhad Dairy works with over 900 cooperative societies, collecting nearly 5.5 lakh litres of milk daily from around 80,000 producers, including both bovine and camel milk. The plant processes up to 4 lakh litres of milk each day, operates a 300-tonne cattle feed plant, and produces 50,000 litres of ice cream daily, reaching a peak production of 3.38 LLPD.

India’s first camel milk processing plant, run by the Kutch District Cooperative Milk Producers Union, also known as Sarhad Dairy, procured an average of 4,754 litres of camel milk daily during 2024-25. The Bhuj-based dairy paid a total of Rs 8.72 crore to more than 350 camel farming families in the year, government officials said on Tuesday.

Sarhad Dairy works with over 900 cooperative societies, collecting nearly 5.5 lakh litres of milk daily from around 80,000 producers, including both bovine and camel milk. The plant processes up to 4 lakh litres of milk each day, operates a 300-tonne cattle feed plant, and produces 50,000 litres of ice cream daily, reaching a peak production of 3.38 LLPD. It also supports animal husbandry farmers by disbursing nearly Rs 3 crore every day. In 2024-25, the dairy achieved a turnover exceeding Rs 1,200 crore, a 9.09% increase from the previous year.

Established in 2009 when Narendra Modi was Gujarat’s chief minister, Sarhad Dairy introduced India’s first deodorising camel milk processing plant in January 2019. Camel milk, rich in essential minerals, is known to promote health and strengthen immunity. The dairy has also earned primary organic certification for camel milk. Following the Amul model, camel milk is collected through four centres in Kutch district – Rapar, Nakhatrana, Gadhshisha, and Kotda Athamana.

The dairy is the only facility in India producing camel milk Rajbhog-flavoured ice cream. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in February 2024, the ice cream plant has launched 80 varieties and produced 24.52 lakh litres in 2024-25, with peak dispatches of 58,000 litres.

At the first Regional Dairy Conference held by the International Dairy Federation in Kochi in 2024, Sarhad Dairy General Manager Nirav Gusai shared a model for camel milk production in the Asia-Pacific region. The dairy has received multiple awards, including the FOKIA Awards (2014, 2024), Rotary Club Vocational Excellence Award (2017), and the Green Workplace Award (2025).

Under the 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' program launched by PM Modi and Union Home & Cooperative Minister Amit Shah, Sarhad Dairy has assisted 900 milk societies and over 31,000 animal husbandry farmers in opening accounts at Kutch District Central Cooperative Bank.