Milk dispute of cattle rearers in taluka: 50,000 litres of milk of 15,000 cattle rearers are wasted

More than 15,000 cattle rearers and farmers in Dahegam taluka of Gandhinagar district have registered with the Register of Co. The cooperatives are facing financial distress after the order of the societies dated February 27, 2026. As per the order, cattle rearers have stopped submitting milk to the Madhur Dairy Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (GCMMF) in Gandhinagar for the time being. The reason for this immediate stay order issued by the Registrar Nominee Board of the Ahmedabad Division is the case filed by the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited against GCMMF and Gandhinagar District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited. As many as 15,000 cattle rearers in Dahegam taluka are wastage of 50,000 litres of milk per day due to the cessation of milk filling in Madhur Dairy. The order implements the area rules fixed under the District Registrar's Order of 2000, which declares the villages of Dahegam as part of the Milk Integration Area of Ahmedabad, even if they are administratively annexed to Gandhinagar district. Due to this the farmers, who had switched to Sweet Dairy in October 2025 for better rates, are now forced to switch again to Uttam Dairy which gives milk at lower rates. Madhur Dairy fetched Rs 8.50 per cent of fat, while Uttam Dairy fetched Rs 8.30. This decision has affected about 65 cooperative societies and about 45,000 litres of milk per day. The order, which will remain in force till the next hearing, has created a lot of concern among the cattle rearers. Many families fear losing thousands of rupees every month amid rising fodder costs and seasonal expenses. The whole incident started when farmers fed up with the fixed rates at Uttam Dairy under the Ahmedabad union were attracted to the competitive rates of Madhur Dairy. A herder from a village in Dahegam said on condition of anonymity. The dairy changed. This was helping to pay for children's education, medical expenses and improvement in agriculture. But a unilateral stay order passed under the petitioner's petition closed the way. This legal dispute has its roots in administrative changes, when the villages of Dahegam were annexed to Gandhinagar district for administration, but in the milk system they remained attached to Ahmedabad. Farmers say the impact is serious for farmers. Community leaders are terming the order as bureaucratic excesses and say the situation on the ground has been ignored. Transportation became easier as Madhur Dairy's collection centres were just a few kilometres away from many villages. 'It's not just about money, it's a question of our prestige and livelihood.