Dudhsagar Dairy is a cooperative dairy based in Mehsana, Gujarat, India. It is one of the largest dairy cooperatives in Asia by daily milk handling and forms part of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets dairy products under the Amul brand. The dairy is operated by the Mehsana District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Limited.
| Name | Dudhsagar Dairy |
|---|---|
| Operator | Mehsana District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd. |
| Headquarters | Mehsana, Gujarat, India |
| Type | Dairy cooperative |
| Federation | Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) |
| Brand | Amul |
| Country | India |
The cooperative was established in the 1960s in the Mehsana district of north Gujarat, an area with a long tradition of cattle rearing and a high concentration of the Mehsani buffalo breed. It was organised on the lines of the Anand Pattern of dairy cooperatives, in which village-level milk producers' societies pool milk that is collected, processed, and marketed through a district-level union and a state-level federation.
The dairy procures milk from a network of village dairy cooperative societies spread across Mehsana and neighbouring districts. Producers are members of these primary societies, which in turn are shareholders of the district union.
The plant at Mehsana processes milk into a wide range of products, including pasteurised liquid milk, butter, ghee, skimmed milk powder, whole milk powder, cheese, paneer, flavoured milk, and cattle feed. Products are marketed both within India and exported through the GCMMF under the Amul label. The union also operates cattle feed plants and supports veterinary services, artificial insemination, and fodder development programmes for member producers.
Dudhsagar Dairy is regarded as one of the flagship constituents of Gujarat's cooperative dairy movement, alongside unions such as Amul Dairy in Anand and Banas Dairy in Banaskantha. It has played a significant role in raising rural incomes in north Gujarat by providing a stable market for milk producers, particularly small and marginal farmers and women members of village societies. The cooperative is also closely associated with the development and commercial exploitation of the Mehsani buffalo, a high-yielding indigenous breed.