18% increase in milk procurement in Himachal due to efforts of state government

Shimla, August 22: As a result of the meaningful efforts of the state government, a significant increase has been registered in the procurement of milk through Milkfed in Himachal Pradesh. The credit for this goes to the decisions taken by the state government with the aim of providing benefits to farmers and animal husbandry.

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the average procurement of milk has reached a record high of 1.90 lakh liters per day which is 18 percent more than last year’s 1.40 lakh liters per day. He said that by promoting the dairy sector, the state government is encouraging people to adopt animal husbandry, the positive results of which are clearly visible in the milk procurement figures by Milkfed.

There has been a significant improvement in quality milk collection in the state. The fat content in milk has increased from 3.50 percent to 3.65 percent and the solid-not-fat content has increased from 7.50 percent to 7.70. Milkfed disbursed loans worth Rs 19.42 crore in May and Rs 21.42 crore in June this year as compared to Rs 11.01 crore in May and Rs 11.88 crore in June last year. These efforts of the government show that the state government is working with commitment to increase the income of the farming community.

Reiterating the commitment to strengthen the rural economy, the Chief Minister said that the purchase price of cow milk has been increased from Rs 32 to Rs 45 per liter and the purchase price of buffalo milk has been increased to Rs 55 per liter, which will strengthen the economy of cattle farmers. He said that the state government is setting up a state-of-the-art milk processing plant at Dhagwar in Kangra district with the cooperation of the National Dairy Development Board, for which the government has released Rs 201 crore.

The initial capacity of this plant is 1.5 lakh liters per day, which can be increased to three lakh liters per day. This fully automated plant will produce various types of dairy products like curd, lassi, butter, ghee, paneer, flavored milk, khoya and mozzarella cheese, which will help milk producers get better prices for their produce.

Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that about 95 percent of the state’s population lives in rural areas and strengthening the rural economy is among the priorities of the state government. He said that the concept of a prosperous and self-reliant Himachal can be realized by empowering farmers economically.