Rs 201 crore allocated for milk processing plant in Kangra

Shimla, July 10

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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that Rs 201 crore had been allocated for the construction of a state-of-the-art milk processing plant at Dhagwar village in Kangra.

Sukhu, in a statement issued here, said that the plant was being developed in collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board and its construction was scheduled to begin soon.

“The plant will have an initial capacity of 1.50 lakh litres per day, which can be expanded up to 3 lakh litres per day. This fully automatic plant aims to produce a variety of dairy products such as curd, lassi, butter, ghee, paneer, flavoured milk, khoya and mozzarella cheese,” he added.

He said that the project was expected to enhance the economic prosperity of farmers in Kangra, Hamirpur, Chamba and Una districts. “As the work on the project progresses, it is poised to bring prosperity to the dairy farming community and ensure that farmers get a good value for their produce,” he added.

Sukhu said that the initiative was aligned with the government’s commitment to farmer welfare. “Once the Dhagwar processing plant begins operations, the government plans to start production of milk powder, ice cream and various types of cheese there,” he added.

He reiterated the state government’s commitment to the welfare of farmers and said that the milk procurement rates had been raised significantly. The procurement price of cow milk had been raised from Rs 32 per litre to Rs 45 per litre and buffalo milk to Rs 55 per litre, he added.

He said, “Strengthening the rural economy is imperative for making Himachal Pradesh self-sufficient and prosperous. Without achieving the goal of strengthening the rural economy by making farmers financially stable and strong, the vision of a prosperous and self-reliant Himachal remains unattainable.”