Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday said that the Government is making the required investment to upscale the dairy sector in the State. He said that through the flagship ‘Dairy Mission’ programme, the State Government has charted out various interventions to promote dairy farming. “Government of Meghalaya is working with different Dairy Cooperative Societies to encourage milk production across the State,” the Chief Minister said while laying the foundation for new Dairy Complex at Ganol in the West Garo Hills district.
The new complex, costing Rs. 10.52 crore, is funded by National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), Government of India, which has contributed Rs. 9.15 crore and Milk Producers Union of West Garo Hills, which has contributed Rs. 86.27 lakh. The new plant will have a capacity of 10,000 litres per day. The existing plant at Ganol has a capacity of 1,000 litres per day. Sangma informed that the new dairy complex will have a chilling, processing and packaging and distribution unit.
The Chief Minister said that livestock provides a lucrative opportunity for the farming community of the State as Meghalaya largely depends on imports from other States. “Almost 50 percent of the meat products available in the State, including pork, beef, mutton, poultry, fish and dairy products are imported from different regions of India as our production is low. The livestock business amounts to the tune of about Rs 4,500 crore in the State, which means that about Rs 2,250 crore goes outside the State,” the Chief Minister said, while encouraging local entrepreneurs to harness the opportunity that is available in the livestock sector.
