Agartala, September 30: The Tripura government plans to expand the state’s dairy sector by raising milk production, increasing the number of cooperative societies and extending greater financial and technical support to dairy farmers, Animal Resources Development Minister Sudhangshu Das said on Tuesday.
Addressing the 13th Board Meeting of the Gomati Cooperative Milk Union here, Das said the state’s milk production was currently inadequate to meet consumer demand and stressed the need for greater institutional cooperation and technical expertise.
The meeting was held following a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Animal Resources Development Department, Gomati Cooperative Milk Union and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
“Milk is a balanced and essential food, but our local production falls short. With NDDB’s support, we can expand production, processing, and distribution to ensure affordable access for consumers,” Das said.
He said the partnership with NDDB would focus on improving milk production and processing, strengthening marketing and distribution networks and ensuring dairy products were made available to consumers at reasonable prices.
Gomati Cooperative Milk Union Chairman Ratan Ghosh said the meeting was the first joint board meeting with NDDB since the tripartite MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Manik Saha.
Ghosh said the Union aims to increase the number of dairy farmers associated with it from 6,642 to 10,000.
As part of the expansion, 52 new milk-producing cooperative societies would be established to widen the cooperative network and encourage more farmers to join organised dairy production.
The recently acquired Tridha Dairy at Kamalpur would be integrated into the Union’s operations, while a new dairy plant at Bamutia, with a processing capacity of 40,000 litres, is being operationalised, he said.
Ghosh said Gomati Dairy had expanded considerably since its establishment in 1982, when its processing capacity was 5,000 litres, and had now reached 40,000 litres.
The cooperative currently produces four varieties of milk, two types of paneer, ghee, ice cream, packaged drinking water and nearly 75 varieties of sweets.
Marketing strategies are also being reviewed to improve profitability and ensure better returns for dairy farmers, Ghosh said.
The board discussed measures for effective implementation of Central and state government schemes aimed at supporting cattle rearers and dairy farmers, besides providing financial and technical assistance at the grassroots level.
NDDB North-East Coordinator Sabyasachi Roy, senior officials of the ARD Department, the Union’s Managing Director and Secretary and other board members attended the meeting.
