Shreeja Mahila Milk Producer Company wins award at World Dairy Summit in Chicago

Shreeja receives global recognition for Innovation in Women Empowerment in the Dairy Sector .

Shreeja, an Indian Women Dairy Organisation at the foothills of Lord Balaji temple Tirupati, received the award for Innovation in Women Empowerment in the Dairy Sector at a grand ceremony in Chicago, the United States last night.

Receiving the award on behalf of an impressive over 120,000 women dairy farmers, Chief Executive Officer of Shreeja Mahila Milk Producer Company (SMMPCL) Jayatheertha Chary said, “It is the proudest movement for women dairy farmers of the country and the organisation to get the honour on a global platform for the empowerment of women dairy farmers. It behooves the world’s largest women base in the dairy industry for implementing several initiatives and programs aimed at enhancing women’s leadership and empowering them within the dairy sector”.

Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary (AHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying was present on the occasion. Expressing her happiness on the award, she congratulated NDDB, NDDB Dairy Services and Shreeja Milk for the achievement and encouraged them to continue with the pathbreaking efforts.

Chairman NDDB & NDDB Dairy Services (NDS) Dr Meenesh Shah who was elected to the Board of the International Dairy Federation (IDF) as a delegate of the General Assembly, said “Women have played an integral part in the success of dairying in India and it was only a matter of time before their contributions get acknowledged in the global stage. This year, IDF released its first Women in Dairy report which features 15 case studies from across the globe, of which 4 case studies are of Shreeja, Sakhi, Asha and Paayas, the producer organizations technically supported by us.”

NDS has helped facilitate the formation of 22 Milk Producers’ Organisations, including Shreeja, with a focus on women empowerment in the dairy sector with an infusion of the latest technology, online payment mechanism and enhancing the productivity of indigenous breeds of milch animals.”

An exuberant K Sreedevi, Shreeja Chairperson said, “This global recognition and award at the international stage is enthusing and humbling for each of over 1.20 lakh women dairy farmer members and their families and we owe it also to the support provided by the NDS for taking us where we are today. This will spur us to work harder and expand aggressively in the states where we are operating from.”

Currently, the company, spread across 11 districts of 3 states (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Tamil Nadu) with an average milk procurement of 5.5 LLPD and hoping to touch a turnover of Rs1,000 crore this fiscal, he said. SMMPCL is eying at women membership of 1.5 lakh, milk procurement of 6.5 LLPD and joining the ‘Unicorn’ club shortly, Chary said.

Shreeja receives global recognition for Innovation in