Capacity of Amul chocolate factory to be doubled: GCMMF MD Jayen Mehta

Amul’s chocolate factory in Gujarat is being expanded to double the quantum of chocolates it currently produces.

“We are doubling the capacity of the chocolate plant. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come to Mogar in 2018, we had increased the capacity by five times. That capacity got exhausted in two years. Since the last one year we have been working on the expansion,” said Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the apex body of milk cooperatives in Gujarat. 

The Amul chocolate plant at Mogar near Anand is the only such plant in the GCMMF network. In 2018, PM Narendra Modi had inaugurated the plant which can produce 1000 tonnes per month of chocolates. 

Also read: Amul to sell ‘fresh milk’ for the first time in United States

“We are currently installing the requisite machinery and the expansion work is expected to be completed in the next few months,” Mehta told businessline on the sidelines of a convocation ceremony of Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA).

The complex at Mogar also consists of a 600 tonne per day take-home-ration plant and a therapeutic food plant with a 600 metric tonne per capacity.

Impact of rise is cocoa prices

When asked about how GCMMF is dealing with the rising prices of cocoa which is an important ingredient, Mehta said, “In 25 years, the rates of Cocoa increased from ₹150 to ₹200 (per kilogram). Now it is difficult to get it at ₹850-900.”

The increase in cocoa prices has been partly passed on to the consumers. 

GCMMF procures most of the cocoa needed for chocolates, ice-creams and other products from CAMPCO (Central ArecaNut and Cocoa Marketing and Cooperative Society) which is a cooperative body in Karnataka.

“We are their largest customer,” he said without disclosing the amount of Cocoa that the cooperative procures.