Indian firm in talks with Israeli dairy tech suppliers

Godrej Agrovet did not comment, but representatives of the Israeli companies, Afikim and SCR Engineers, confirmed they were in talks with Godrej.

 

A spokesman of the firms said that Godrej was looking to set up a model dairy farm, with about 200 cows.

 

The company was not be looking at commercial production of milk, but was interested in becoming a technology source for providing high-yielding cows and world-class technology and the model farm was to act as its research and development centre.

 

Godrej has business interests in animal feed, oil palm plantations, agri-inputs and poultry. Its animal feed business is the country’s largest, with annual production of 730,000 tonnes of feed and nutrition products.

 

With 45 manufacturing facilities across India, it has 10,000 rural distributors and 1,900 employees, says its website.

 

More companies are seriously thinking of commercial dairy farming, as against the conventional format of co-operative dairies.

 

India’s largest fertilizer company, Iffco, announced a collaborative venture with Fonterra and Global Dairy Health, both from New Zealand, to set up a mega dairy project for 3,000 to 5,000 cows in India.

 

Israel’s industry conglomerate Elbit has also announced plans, through its Indian subsidiary Elbit India, to establish India’s largest dairy farm in Andhra Pradesh.