18% increase in milk procurement in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a substantial increase in milk collection through Milkfed, thanks to the focused and earnest efforts of the current state government. Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that average milk procurement has reached a record high of 1.90 lakh liters per day (LLPD), registering an 18 percent increase from the previous 1.40 LLPD. The policies and steps taken by the state government have proved motivation to the cattle rearers to re-engage with the dairy sector, as evident by the numbers of MILKFED.
The quality of the milk collected has also improved with the fat content rising from 3.50 percent to 3.65 percent and solid-not-fat (SNF) content increasing from 7.50 percent to 7.70percent. In a clear indication of the state's commitment to supporting farming community, Milkfed disbursed Rs. 19.42 crore to milk producers in May 2024 and Rs. 21.42 crore in June 2024 as compared to Rs. 11.01 crore and Rs. 11.88 crore during the same months last year.
The Chief Minster emphasized the government's dedication to the welfare of farmers and said that the procurement price of cow milk has been increased from Rs. 32 to Rs. 45 per litre, while the rate for buffalo milk has been raised to Rs. 55 per litre thereby strengthening their economy.
He said that the state government has allocated Rs. 201 crore for the construction of a state-of-the-art milk processing plant at Dhagwar in Kangra district in collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board. The plant will have an initial capacity of 1.50 lakh LLPD which will be expandable to 3 LLPD. It will be fully automated plant and produce a variety of dairy products including curd, lassi, butter, ghee, paneer, flavored milk, khoya, and mozzarella cheese and ensure remunerative prices to the farmers.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that strengthening the rural economy is the top priority of the state government as about 95 percent of Himachal Pradesh’s population resides in rural areas. "Without making farmers financially stable and strong, the vision of a prosperous and self-reliant Himachal remains unattainable," he stated.