Assam government targets dairy sector expansion to meet milk demand

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma held a review meeting to address a significant gap between the state’s milk production and consumption. Currently, Assam produces 33.53 lakh litres of milk daily, while the annual demand stands at 1.22 crore litres.

To bridge this gap, the state plans to expand its milk processing capacity by 4.20 lakh litres per day through new projects in Bajali, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Dhemaji, Sonitpur, and Kamrup. This will supplement the existing capacity of 4.95 lakh litres per day.

The Chief Minister directed the Directorate of Dairy Development to strengthen the cooperative network, improve milk procurement, and enhance the dairy value chain. Discussions included a five-year roadmap for the sector, the implementation of a Rs 5 subsidy scheme for farmers, and the need to increase women's participation in dairy cooperatives. Additionally, officials addressed the discrepancy between organized and registered Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS), noting that only 1,032 of the 2,006 organized societies are currently registered.