Farmers to Receive ₹3 per Litre Incentive for Selling Milk to Private Cooperative Societies

Chief Minister launches ‘Milk Incentive Scheme’ and Transport Subsidy Scheme to strengthen rural economy

Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country where the government purchases cow milk at ₹51 per litre and buffalo milk at ₹61 per litre through the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Milk Federation. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced this while launching the Milk Incentive Scheme and the Freight Subsidy Scheme at Darlaghat in Arki constituency of Solan district today.

Under the Milk Incentive Scheme, farmers registered with private dairy cooperative societies and selling milk to them will receive an incentive of ₹3 per litre. The amount will be directly credited to their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Beneficiaries will also receive instant SMS notifications through a special portal developed by NIC Himachal Pradesh. The Chief Minister said the state government is making dedicated efforts to strengthen the rural economy.

Calling the day “historic” for the state’s livestock farmers, the Chief Minister distributed ₹1.45 crore through DBT to 8,000 dairy farmers associated with private dairy cooperatives, including the Gau Amrit Committee and Paplota Amrit Dhara Committee in Solan district, as well as the Kamdhenu Committee and Kehloor Milk Committee in Bilaspur district, for July and August. In addition, ₹1.59 crore was provided as transport subsidy at a rate of ₹3 per litre—an increase from the previous ₹1.50 per litre—bringing the total annual financial benefit to the community to ₹18.24 crore.

Under the Rajiv Gandhi Van Sanvardhan Yojana, the Chief Minister also disbursed ₹28.80 lakh to eight self-help groups and ₹34.20 lakh to ten progressive dairy farmers from the Kamdhenu Hitkari Manch, Namhol. He also launched a mobile application to facilitate truck operators.

Rural women welcomed the Chief Minister with great enthusiasm, appreciating the series of initiatives aimed at empowering them economically. Sukhu said the transport subsidy for milk collected by private cooperatives has been doubled from ₹1.50 to ₹3 per litre, benefiting thousands of farmers. He added that milk processing facilities are being expanded through MILKFED.

“To ensure maximum marketing opportunities, a statewide campaign to establish dairy cooperative societies was launched in June this year,” he said. “So far, 320 societies have been formed, and the government aims to set up one cooperative in every gram panchayat with sufficient milk production.”

Health Minister Dr. D.R. Shandil, Agriculture Minister Chandra Kumar, MLAs Sanjay Awasthi and Ram Kumar, MILKFED Chairman Buddhi Singh Thakur, and Wool Federation Chairman Manoj Thakur were present on the occasion.