The dairy sector of the country is one of the principal
agricultural industry. Since the basic national objective is to provide
inputs to farmers at low cost and to reduce the income gap between rich
and the poor, the present Government is keen to undertake Programmes in
the light of the objectives outlined. In the tune, it has been
recognized that some rural benefits are already flowing to a group of
co-operatively organized small farmers through the Bangladesh Milk
producers’ Co-operative Union Limited (BMPCUL).
History of Milk Vita Background
of Bangladesh Milk producers’
Co-operative Union Limited
In 1946, Late M. Mukhlesur
Rahman Pioneer of
Dairying in Bangladesh a
Dairy Plant with a capacity of 2,000
litres per day was established at
Lahirimohanpur, Pabna (presently Sirajgong)
with the target to send milk
products to Calcutta
(India) market that was
within the easy rail communication
system. After the partition, Eastern
milk Products Limited, a private company
purchased this dairy in 1952 from
the original owner. In 1965,
the first milk producers’
co-operative was formed
under the name Eastern
Milk Producers’ Co-operative
Union Limited (EMPCUL) through Government
patronization over the plant at Lahirimohanpur,
which has been taken specialy
step (1973-1978) by The
Father of nation
Bangobandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman for the
poverty alleviation and to enhance
the milk production in the country.
The dairy plants were owned and operated
by the Eastern Milk Producers'
Co-operative Union Ltd.
along with the other two
existing dairies**.
The nomenclature of the organization
was changed to Bangladesh Milk Producers'
Co-operative Union Ltd. In 1977
keeping it’s Brands name
of products the same, MILK-VITA.
Bangladesh Milk Producers'
Co-operative Union Ltd. popularly known
by its brand name MilkVita, was established
by the Bangladesh Government
in 1973, immediately after
the liberation war, based
upon the recommendation by UNDP/FAO
and DANIDA in the pattern of AMUL, India.
It was initiated as a development project
of the Government titled
"Co-operative Dairy Complex"
with the objective of
ensuring fair price for the poor,
landless and marginal milk producing
farmers of the rural Bangladesh and
on the other hand to provide the city
dwellers with a regular supply of fresh
and hygienic milk and milk
products at a reasonable
price. The scheme had the
proposal of establishing dairy plants
in the milk surplus areas already identified
as Pabna, Tangail, Manikganj and Faridpur.
The Government started
implementation of the
programme in it’s First Five
Year Plan(1973-78). The plants
were to operate through collection of
milk by a network of milk producers’
co-operative societies in milk-shed
areas. The project envisages the purchase
of milk from individual
farmer members of the
primary milk producers’
societies, twice daily, transport of
this milk to rural dairy plants of Tangail,
Manikganj and Faridpur by a combination
of vrious methods of
transportation. After
preliminary processing at the
rural plants, milk is to be transported
to Dhaka in insulated road milk tankers
for processing, packing and marketing
of pasteurized Liquid Milk and Milk
Products. Milk collected at
the Baghabarighat Plant from
it’s surrounding societies,
is to be converted into Butter, Powder
Milk and Ghee etc. All the products
however, are to be marketed through
Dhaka Marketing Unit. The Head Office
named “Dugdha Bhaban” of
the organization. Milk Vita is a
service oriented as well as
commercial organization. It
is the biggest and only on co-operative
based milk industry in Bangladesh. Following
the co-operative's acts & rules
it is lead by itself. It’s a
profitable organization. In
spite of various limitations
it is trying hard to gain self sufficiency
in the dairy sector. ** There was another dairy plant, ASTO
Dairy at Dhaka run by the
National Co-operative
Marketing Society which
was amalgamated with the EMPCUL in
1973 (Eastern Milk Producers’
Co-operative Union Limited).