Indian Dairy Association | Indian Dairyman

M/s Vanilco to Provide Vanilla to Amul and NDDB

According to Mr. Paul Jose, Managing Director, Vanilco, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul) and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) would now purchase natural vanilla from them for their ice creams.

The decision was taken during a meeting convened by the Hon’ble Union Agriculture Minister, Mr. Sharad Pawar in this regard, recently in New Delhi. The volume, pricing and the period of contract will also be fixed later. Vanilco, a Kerala-based vanilla processing company has been attempting to raise the natural vanilla share in ice cream and confectionary brands of the nation to support the price of vanilla.

Mr. Jose said that dairy brands were apprehensive of the supply and the price of the product, as vanilla prices have fluctuated wildly in the past. Vanilco has assured that it has sufficient stock to maintain a regular supply at pre-determined prices. He estimates the annual consumption of the companies to be around 8-9 tonne. The company hopes that conversion from synthetic vanilla will enable farmers to earn sufficient income from production. Mr. Jose said that the central government should take initiative for bringing regulatory system so that at least use of synthetic vanilla is controlled. He further added that India imports around 1,000 tonne of synthetic vanilla every year while natural vanilla production in the country is around 150 tonne and if even 10 per cent of synthetic vanilla users shift to natural vanilla, it will go a long way in addressing problems faced by growers!.
State Government to Boost Kerala Dairy Sector

The Government of Kerala has prepared strategies to increase the productivity of dairy animals in the State. According to Mr. C. Divakaran, Hon’ble State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies and Animal Husbandry, the government will soon announce a new Breeding Policy and also set up high-tech dairy farms with 1,000 animals in Wayanad and Idukki districts. Also, the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma) would set up model dairy farms in the State.

Mr. Divakaran, while speaking at a State-level meeting on “Dairy Sector — Challenges and Strategies,” organised by the Nabard, said that the State government will also consider import of high-yielding animals, if necessary, to improve the quality of breeding stock.

According to Mr. Bhawar Puri, Chief General Manager, Nabard, the strengthening of marketing infrastructure for procurement, processing, marketing and quality assurance of milk is the need of the hour. He further said that the state-owned breeding farms could be strengthened on scientific lines with Nabard assistance.
Amul Wins Trade Mark Case in Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court in a landmark judgement has ruled that a registered trade mark user has the right to restrict others using their trade mark for different class or goods. It has ruled that a registered trade mark is infringed by a person who, not being a registered proprietor or a person using by way of permitted use, uses in the course of trade, a mark which is identical with or similar to the registered trade mark and is used in relation to goods or services which are not similar to those for which the trade mark is registered. It further ruled that the contention of using a trade mark for a long time, without valid permission, is not acceptable, as passing off is a recurring wrong and therefore can be prevented at any stage and at any time.

This significant judgement will come as a great relief to leading organisations whose trade marks are regularly being infringed by unprincipled elements. The problem of trade mark infringements has assumed alarming proportions all over the country.
IDA Seminar on Pre-budget Proposal and Trade Policy

The Indian Dairy Association (IDA) organized a Seminar on Pre-budget Proposals and Trade Policy for the year 2008-09 at Indian Medical Association, Indraprastha, New Delhi on September 26, 2007. The seminar was well attended and represented by all the major players in the dairy industry from all regions.

Welcoming the participants, Dr. N.R. Bhasin, President, IDA stressed the importance of having such interactions within the industry before approaching the Government of India for any policy changes/initiatives. Dr. Bhasin also announced the setting up of "Industry Forum and Farmers Forum" in the IDA to focus on the importance of constraints faced by these two very important segments dairying in India.

Speakers at the Seminar appreciated this initiative taken by the IDA to interact with the industry and seek their views before taking up the proposals with the Government of India. It was pointed out that IDA should function as the prime representative body of the dairy industry and approach the Government for suitable interventions in framing and implementations of the policies and fiscal measures related to the dairy industry.

Various speakers drew the attention of the Seminar to certain overdue reforms in the structure of direct taxes e.g. Income-tax, exemption for cooperatives at district and State levels, the necessity and quantum of excise duty on dairy equipments & machineries, stainless steel and aluminium milk cans as also on import of latest technologies for improving the quality of end product reaching the consumers. Concerns were also expressed regarding in-consistency and adhoc decisions on the Exim policy of milk and milk products, anomalies in the VAT and certain retrograde cess and taxes imposed by several State Governments.

Based on the presentation by the members from various organizations, the IDA has submitted a memorandum to the Deptt. of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Agriculture, seeking relief/incentives and suggesting new policy initiatives in respect of Direct Taxes; Custom and Excise Duty; Exim Policy and other essential interventions needed to give a fillip to the dairy industry.
BHU Organises National Seminar on Prospects of Food and Dairy Processing Industries in the Eastern India

Dr. N.R. Bhasin, President, IDA lighting the lamp of the National Seminar. Also seen in the picture are L to R (Dr. S.S.H. Rizvi; Dr. S.R. Singh; Dr. R.P. Singh, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, BHU; Prof. S. Lele and Dr. Alok Jha).

A two-day ‘National Seminar on Prospects of Food and Dairy Processing Industries in Eastern Region’ was organized in Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi on September 28-29, 2007 under the auspices of Platinum Jubilee of Institute of Agricultural Sciences. Dr. N.R. Bhasin, President, Indian Dairy Association was the Chief Guest during the Inaugural Function on 28th September 2007. Prof. S. Lele, Hon'ble Rector, BHU presided over the Inaugural Function. Dr. S.S.H. Rizvi, International Professor of Food Engineering, Cornell University, USA delivered the keynote address on the occasion.

The seminar highlighted the fact that the topic was very timely and opportune because at a time when agricultural growth rate is around 2% for the last 3-4 years, the rate of growth of milk production is projected by FAO at 4-5% per annum in India.

A Brain Storming Session on the model for the proposed School of Food Science and Technology was another highlight of the seminar. Dr. S.S.H. Rizvi was the Chairman and Dr. S.R. Singh, Director, Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Dr. S.N. Upadhyaya, Director, Institute of Technology were the Co-Chairmen. Some of the dignitaries who participated in the seminar were: Mr. Neil Prasad, MD, Danisco Ingredients Ltd., Gurgaon; Dr. H. K. Desai, MD, Vidya Dairy, Anand; Dr. G.S. Rajorhia, Former Chairman, IDA (NZ); Prof. A. Sahay, Chairman, Entrepreneurship Development Centre, MDI, Gurgaon; Dr. H.N. Mishra, Prof. & Head, Food Technology, IIT, Kharagpur; Dr. R.M. Joshi, Prof. of Management, IIFT, New Delhi; and Dr. S. Singh, President, Dairy Technology Society of India, Karnal.

Dr. Alok Jha, Organizing Secretary of the National Seminar and Professor (DT) and Programme Coordinator (Food Sci. & Tech.) thanked the guests and delegates and highlighted the new initiatives in BHU in dairy and food sectors.
TROPNUTRICON - 2007 Organized at NDRI, Karnal in September

Under the auspices of Animal Nutrition Society of India (ANSI), an International Conference on Tropical Animal Nutrition was held at Karnal in collaboration with National Dairy Research Institute. About 450 delegates from India and several other countries, including USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Iran, Pakistan, Myanmar and Gambia attended the four-day Conference.

In his inaugural address as a Chief Guest, Prof. D.N. Dongaonkar, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities and a noted medical academician of the country, laid emphasis on blending the traditional wisdom of the farming communities with the modern technologies, so that the new technologies get well adapted to the local conditions. Dr. Sushil Kumar Patron, Organising Committee and Director, NDRI also stressed upon developing need-based livestock production technologies by the scientists to improve the economic lot of the rural farmers.

In his address as Guest of Honour, Prof. Bob Orskov from Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen, UK, had a word of caution for the research managers, that the evaluation of the scientists should not be done on the citation index of their published work alone, but due credit should also be given to their research output, which makes impact in the field and the industry.

In his Presidential Address to the Conference, Dr. T.K. Walli, President, ANSI mentioned the development of several technologies by the animal nutritionists, but the transfer of these technologies to the field and the industry is slow, due to weak extension link between research and the field or industry.

During the inaugural function, several awards constituted by the society were conferred on some senior and young scientists, including the prestigious Life Time Achievement Award conferred on Dr. M.G. Jackson, Dr. J.S. Ichhaponani and Dr. D. Anjaneya Prasad.

The Conference also coincided with the Silver Jubilee celebrations of ANSI, by honouring several veteran and eminent animal nutritionists of India viz. Dr. K. Pradhan, Dr. S.K. Ranjhan and Dr. V.D. Mudgal.