Milk processing plant to come up in Kangra: CM Sukhvinder Sukhu

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Shimla, February 4

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said here today that the state government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to provide consultancy service for the establishment of a state-of-the-art automated milk processing plant at Dhagwar in Kangra district.

Prosperity for dairy farmers

The milk processing plant project will be constructed at a cost of Rs 225 crore in the first phase. The project will bring prosperity to dairy farmers and contribute to the overall growth of the state. The plant will play a crucial role in bolstering the rural economy by directly purchasing milk from farmers in Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra and Una districts. — Sukhvinder Sukhu, Chief minister

He said that the Dhagwar plant, with an initial capacity of 1.50 lakh litres per day (LLDP), expandable up to 3 LLPD, would be a fully automatic facility. “This ambitious project, set to be constructed at a cost of Rs 225 crore in the first phase, aims to produce a diverse range of dairy products, including curd, lassi, butter, ghee, paneer, flavoured milk, khoya and mozzarella cheese,” he added.

Sukhu said, “The project will bring prosperity to dairy farmers and contribute to the overall growth of the state. The plant will play a crucial role in bolstering the rural economy by directly purchasing milk from farmers in Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra and Una districts.”

He emphasised the importance of transparency in milk procurement to ensure that the farmers get a good return for their hard work. He added that an additional investment of Rs 43 crore had been earmarked for strengthening the milk procurement network with a target to purchase 2.74 LLPD for sustaining the plant’s operations.

Sukhu said, “The initiative also includes plans for the second phase, which will witness the production of milk powder, ice cream and various types of cheese at the Dhagwar Plant. The government is committed to the welfare of dairy farmers. It had recently announced an increase of Rs 6 in the milk procurement rate, raising it from Rs 32 to Rs 38.”

He added that the state government was making earnest efforts to increase the income of farmers and new schemes would be introduced in the times to come.

He said, “Strengthening the rural economy is imperative for making the state self-reliant. Around 95 per cent of the state’s population resides in rural areas. Therefore, without achieving this goal, the vision of making Himachal the most progressive state remains unattainable.”