Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari has raised alarm over the weakening of India’s ‘Sanchi’ dairy brand following its merger with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). He attributes declining milk collection and sales to the merger’s failure to support farmers and the brand, urging Union Minister Amit Shah to take corrective action to protect Madhya Pradesh’s dairy economy.
Concerns are rising in Madhya Pradesh, India, over the declining performance of the state’s iconic Sanchi dairy brand. The issue was brought to national attention by Jitu Patwari, President of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, who criticized the brand’s performance post its merger with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
In a letter addressed to Union Home and Cooperative Minister Amit Shah, Patwari claimed that the much-publicized merger has failed to yield its promised benefits. Instead of boosting milk production and improving operations, he says the opposite has occurred—milk collection and sales have declined, causing financial strain for local dairy farmers.
Data cited by Patwari highlights the drop in milk procurement: in Indore, collection fell from 94,496 kilograms in 2023–24 to 85,438 kilograms in 2024–25. He argued that the state’s dairy share in India’s overall production has not improved, contradicting the expectations set during the merger process.
Patwari demanded urgent government intervention, including the formation of an independent panel to evaluate the current state of the MP State Cooperative Dairy Federation, under which Sanchi operates. He also pressed for the immediate clearance of pending ‘Sanchi Parlour’ applications and accused the state government of favoring private dairy brands, which he claims has marginalized Sanchi and its network of farmers.
He emphasized the broader economic implications of this decline, stating that thousands of farmers who depend on regular and fair compensation for their milk are now suffering due to inadequate state support and inconsistent policy implementation.
The Sanchi brand, long recognized in central India for its cooperative model and quality dairy products, now finds itself at a crossroads. With mounting political pressure and declining figures, the call for strategic reform and farmer-focused policies grows louder.
