Gujarat milk federation plants a record 1 cr saplings

The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation,the biggest cooperative in India with an annual turnover of Rs 8,000 crore,in on a spree to bring a new type of green revolution through mass plantation of trees in the state.

The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF),the biggest cooperative in India with an annual turnover of Rs 8,000 crore,in on a spree to bring a new type of green revolution through mass plantation of trees in the state.

Till August 15,during the ongoing monsoon season,the milk cooperative claims to have planted one crore trees from medicinal to fruit-bearing to fodder trees across Gujarat,with the help of its 30 lakh-odd milk producer members attached with 13 district milk cooperative unions. Banaskantha dairy is reported to have taken the lead by planting 15 lakh saplings.

The trees planted this year are neem,mango,chickoo,babul,subabul,sargavo,banyan,peepal,imli,ber and gulmohar,among others.

GCMMF Chairman Parthi Bhatol said each district union was given a quota as per their membership strength to plant trees that could grow and survive in their areas. He said each milkman was given a target to plant at least three saplings in his village or in the area where he lives and works.

The mass tree plantation programme,according to Bhatol,was initiated during the 2007 monsoon,when a total of 18.9 lakh trees were planted in 14,000 villages across Gujarat.

With the project being a good success in the first year,the programme was scaled up by planting 52.74 lakh trees in 2008 and 84.04 lakh in 2009.

Though GCMMF has set up 127 nurseries across the state to provide saplings to the milk producers,Bhatol said the local forest offices contributed in a big way by providing saplings because GCMMFs nurseries were not able to arrange for them on such a large scale.

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milk