SHIMLA, Oct 5 : A state-of-the-art fully automatic milk processing plant will be set up at Dagwar in Kangra district of the state with a capacity of 1.5 lakh litre per day, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today.
The plant will be set up in collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), and the foundation stone will be laid shortly, he said while presiding over a meeting with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) representatives here.
In the first phase, an investment of Rs 223 crore would be made, including Rs 180 crore on construction and Rs 43 crore for strengthening milk procurement network, he said.
The plant would produce a wide range of dairy products, including curd, lassi, butter, ghee, paneer, flavoured milk, khoya and mozzarella cheese, the chief minister added.
“This initiative would go a long way in bolstering the rural economy by purchasing milk directly from farmers in Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra and Una districts,” as per a statement issued here.
In the second phase, production of milk powder, ice cream, and various types of cheese will start at the Dagwar Milk Processing Plant, Sukhu said, directing the officials concerned to complete the civil works for the plant in the next year and a half.
The present state government is committed to purchasing cow milk at Rs 80 per litre and buffalo milk at Rs 100 per litre from farmers, as promised in the Congress Pratigya Patra during the assembly elections, he added. (PTI)
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