A new CEC team has been elected at Indian Dairy Association 

Established in 1948, Indian Dairy Association (IDA) is the apex body of the dairy industry in India. The members are from the cooperatives, MNCs, corporate bodies, private institutions, educational institutions, government and public sector units. IDA functions very closely with the dairy producers, professionals & planners, scientists & educationists, institutions and organisations associated with the development of dairying in India.

The IDA has a history of around six decades now, it has had the privilege of being headed by several Presidents and some of them were of national and international fame. The luminaries like Sardar Datar Singh, Dr. K.C. Sen, Dr. Z.R. Kothawalla, Dr. D.N. Khurody, Dr. V. Kurien, Dr. P. Bhattacharya , Dr G S Rajorhia were the past presidents of the IDA.

Last week the elections of IDA were concluded and a new team was elected. Dr R S Sodhi MD GCMMF was elected as the President of this association . He has been elected along with a highly experienced team in CEC from almost all functional areas of Dairying and animal husbandry. After a long time one of the most successful and practising dairy professionals has taken up the top position at IDA. Dr Sodhi has joined at a time when the dairy industry is passing through a crucial phase of being in loggerheads with the government at various fronts. The industry has lots of expectations from him as well as there are a few apprehensions also.

However, before expecting or anticipating the policy and advocacy capacity of Dr Sodhi and his team in front of the government ; let us first examine what this association is capable of doing as per its current objectives.

Objectives of Indian Dairy Association

The objective of the Association shall be the advancement of dairy science and industry, farming, animal husbandry, animal sciences and its branches including dairy farming & research on breeding, and management of dairy livestock; and towards that end the association will seek:

• To provide opportunities for the dissemination and exchange of knowledge and ideas gained from experiments and experience  through meetings, conferences, seminars and for collaboration between persons and/or institutions interested in research & planning and those in production, processing and marketing;
• To practice and promote a high standard of objectivity, scientific expertise and technical proficiency;
• To encourage and promote scientific research and development related to dairy, dairy farming as defined under the Section I — Definitions of Rules and Regulations of Association;
• To promote and participate in every way the rational and economic development of dairy science, industry and farming (as defined under the Rules & Regulations) in the country in association with cooperatives, industry, or any other organization, national or international, having similar aims and objectives;
• To assume any responsibility or functions when asked to do so, on behalf of Government towards the advancement of dairying;
• To collaborate with societies, associations, or any other organization, national or international, having similar aims and to participate in meetings held in India or abroad centered around similar objectives;
• To promote standards (qualitatively and otherwise) and to foster the growth of the dairy industry in general and for the purpose engage in consultancy activities, set up laboratories and do such like or other things as are necessary for the purpose;
• To adopt, as and when required, an appropriate logo for the Association and to permit the use thereof by its members on such terms as may deem appropriate;
• To promote dairying as a part of Animal Husbandry activity in particular and agricultural farming in general for the benefit of livestock and agricultural farmers;
• To organize training, exhibition and help in the establishment of dairy farm as a part of Animal Husbandry activity for the benefit of agricultural, livestock & dairy farmers, in pursuance of objectives of the Association;

Policy and advocacy is not an objective of IDA

The above shown objectives of IDA are not covering the most important mandate of any association i.e policy and advocacy with the government. This may be the reason why our association could not strongly defend the interests of the dairy industry in front of the government in the past. There are three  critical areas of Taxation, Regulations (like Food, metrology and Pollution ) and level playing field for the private and cooperative sector which needs an instant attention . I think that the current team under the leadership of Dr Sodhi understands very well about the perils of running a dairy business in India.

Firstly, I on behalf of the dairy fraternity welcome the new team under the leadership of Dr R S Sodhi to take charge of Indian Dairy Association from our respected teacher Dr G S Rajorhia. I think there is a need to review the current objectives of the Indian Dairy Association and to include at least the following two objectives (if not more).

a. To help the Private dairy sector of India to get its identity and legitimate place in all government publications, policies and schemes. ( Private dairy sector and its achievements are not part of Government data on dairying. They are hardly appreciated for what they have been doing for the dairy development and dairy farmers in the country).

b. To be the partner in purpose with the government’s think tank while drafting and implementing policies for dairy development, taxation and regulatory areas for dairy farmers, processors, marketers and all other stakeholders. 

The first challenge in front of the newly elected team is to get the GST rolled back on pre-packed and pre-labeled dairy products in the forthcoming meeting of the GST Council in Tamil Nadu in August this year. A representation in this regard has already been made by all stakeholders of the industry to the government last month.

I request all readers to share their wish list on what needs to be done in the dairy sector through the association. The wish list can be shared with us or with any member of the newly elected team including Dr R Sodhi.

Source : A blog by Kuldeep Sharma , Chief editor Dairynews7x7

we hope that this committee will surely be taking up the issues related to GST in the forthcoming gst council meet in August 22 only.