On the 2^nd of June 2022, Honourable Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Mr. Kultar Singh Sandhwan visited the head office of Baani Milk Producer Company Limited to understand the model of a successful Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO).

On the 1^st of June 2022, Ms. Ravdeep Kaur (Associate Director KPMG) called Dr. Navdeep Dham (Head Procurement) regarding her discussion with Hon’ble Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan on FPOs. She was discussing the FPO concept with the Hon’ble Speaker and during the discussion, she has given an example of Baani MPC as one of the successful FPO working in Punjab. Mr. Sandhwan expressed his desire to have a visit on 2^nd June 2022 & understand in-depth the driving factors in the success of Baani. In the late evening, we received an email that he will visit the office around 12:30 pm on 2^nd June 22 and will return to Chandigarh at 13:30 hours.

Mr. Sandhwan was accompanied by one of his friends Mr. Ramandeep Singh Maan who is an agriculture policy expert and Ms. Ravdeep Kaur from KPMG.

Mr. Sandhwan was welcomed with a bouquet.

                                                      A detailed presentation was given to speaker Mr. Sandhwan explaining:

1. Concept of Producer Company.
2. Various steps in incorporation & operationalization of a Milk Producer Company.
3. Role of NDDB & NDDB Dairy Services in facilitating successful operationalization of 18 Milk Producer Companies in different states of India.
4. Achievements of NDDB Dairy Services facilitated milk producer companies.
5. Values, Mission, and Vision of Baani Milk Producer Company Limited.
6. Process of membership & Core Design Principles of Baani Milk Producer Company Limited.
7. Various projects like VBMPS & RBP under NDP-1.
8. Automatic milk collection system at village level and direct bank account payment.
9. Participation of women & steps taken by Baani Milk Producer Company Limited during the last few years to enhance the financial inclusion level of rural women in Punjab.
10. Various input services provided by Baani Milk Producer Company Limited like Cattle Feed, Mineral Mixture, Free doorstep screening of cattle for Subclinical Mastitis (CMT), Subscription-based Farm Development Project (FDP), Mastitis Control Popularisation Project (MCPP), promotion of the use of Ethno-Veterinary Medicines in treatment of common diseases, various awareness programs for members, facilitating farmers to get KCC, Cattle insurance, etc.

During discussions, Mr. Sandhwan appreciated the groundwork done by Baani Milk Producer Company Limited and NDDB Dairy Services.  He spent overall four hours in Baani and even, in the end, told that to date he has not spent more than 15 minutes seeing the presentation but as you are doing very good work so I sat and tried to see your full presentation.   He was grateful to the whole Baani team for working hard & establishing this successful model of FPO in the state of Punjab. He expressed his desire to implement this concept of FPO for other farm produce like fruit & vegetables and thanked Baani management to give him new confidence in the possibility of the success of FPOs and emphasized that we need the cooperation of farmers & dedicated professionals for establishing a progressive Punjab. He said that the FPO model will go a long way to increase the income of farmers and would put a full stop to their suicides, besides reversing the trend of brain drain in other countries. Going forward he has asked for support from CE, Baani to have in-depth discussions with other departments like Finance & Animal Husbandry of the Punjab Government to take benefit of this wonderful concept of FPOs to all farmers of Punjab.