Himachal CM lays stone of milk processing plant; to benefit 35,000 producers

Shimla, Jan 23 To benefit over 35,000 milk producers of Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Chamba, and Una districts, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Thursday laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art milk processing plant with a capacity of 1.50 lakh liters per day (LLPD) in Kangra district.

The plant's processing capacity would be expanded to three LLPD in the future.

“In addition to boosting the incomes of milk producers, the plant will create employment opportunities in milk collection, processing, quality control, and distribution. It will also generate indirect jobs in sectors such as transportation, supply chain management, and maintenance services,” the Chief Minister said.

He said the entire funding for the construction of the plant in Dhagwar is being provided by the state government, which will be completed by February 2026.

He said once the processing plant becomes operational, farmers will receive payments of Rs 40 lakh daily.

After the increase in milk rates, Milkfed’s daily milk procurement has risen from 140,000 litres to 210,000 litres.

The milk processing plant will process 1.50 lakh liters of milk daily, producing a wide range of dairy products, including curd, lassi, butter, ghee, cheese, flavored milk, khoya, and mozzarella cheese, an official statement said.

He said the capacity of the milk processing plant in Duttnagar in Shimla district has been increased from 20,000 litres to 70,000 litres per day at a cost of Rs 25.67 crore. This enhanced capacity is benefiting 20,000 dairy farmers in Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, and Kinnaur districts.

Sukhu said strengthening the rural economy is the top priority of the government.

The government has also increased the minimum support price of cow's milk from Rs 32 to Rs 45 per litre and buffalo's milk from Rs 47 to Rs 55 per litre.

He said the government is making efforts over the past two years to make Himachal Pradesh a self-reliant.

The Chief Minister said it was for the first time that 4,000 metric tonnes of maize produced through natural farming was purchased at Rs 30 per kg, and from the next season, wheat will be procured at Rs 40 per kg.

Source: IANS