GUWAHATI, July 27 - With a view to develop the dairy sector in Assam, the State government has drawn up an ambitious programme, which includes setting up new cooperative societies and commercial dairy farms during this financial year, to boost milk production as well as help dairy farmers in capacity building.
Official sources told The Assam Tribune that among the interventions planned for the development of the sector, formation of Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS) across the State, establishment of a regional platform for dairy development to link stakeholders around the region through technical, policy and information networking system, developing human resources and knowledge management in the smallholder dairy sector and its supporting organizations, creating an enabling institutional and regulatory framework, and facilitating market access through both formal channels like WAMUL and informal channels including individual entrepreneurs, are on the agenda.
As part of the project, the government is aiming to organize an additional 220 DCS in the State during 2015-16. Around Rs 2.5 crore is expected to be invested for this purpose. This is being done with a view to organize dispersed dairy farmers under one umbrella and for their capacity building.
In addition, 54 new Milk Producers Institutions (MPI) will be formed during his fiscal. Besides, three more �Milk Unions� are also planned for 2015-16.
Sources said that milk processing facility in Assam has increased from 20,000 litres per day (LPD) in 2001-02 to 2.16 lakh LPD during 2014-15.
Nagaon and Bokakhat Milk Processing Plants have been upgraded to 5,000 litre capacity at a cost of over Rs 2 crore and work is in progress for establishment of three news Milk Processing Plants at Jorhat, Dhemaji and Bongaigaon. Work is also going on to establish 11 new Milk Collection Centres at DCS and MPI levels.
The government has sanctioned setting up of five new Bulk Milk Cooling Centres, to add to the existing 54 such centres. Also, five new commercial dairy farms are planned to be established this fiscal.
As per data, there is a shortfall of 1,538 million litres per year between the State�s annual milk production and requirement. At the same time, while the per capita requirement of milk in Assam is 208 ml per day, the per capita availability is only 77 ml per day.
As part of its overall plan to develop the sector, the State government has also decided to focus on supporting smallholders to become more productive and profitable and also on improving the safety and quality aspects as well as its competitive position, including efficiency of farms.
