The Punjab government has decided to spend Rs 80 crore on modernisation of its milk plants across the state with a view to making them economically viable.
Announcing this here on Monday at a meeting with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) managing director Dilip Rath, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal said that for agriculture diversification, dairy farming had a huge scope.
He said the allied farming sector had a tremendous growth in Punjab as part of the crop diversification programme because of a strong presence of livestock to give boost to the dairy sector.
Expressing the state government's commitment in bringing development in the dairy sector, Badal urged the NDDB to chalk out a comprehensive plan to improve milk procurement system across the state and extend marketing training designed on scientific grounds by the NDDB to the workers of various milk unions.
Badal also demanded the NDDB's assistance for modernisation of all nine milk plants in the state that could provide benefits to the farmers immensely, especially the small and marginal farmers.
The NDDB has prepared a project report for modernisation of the plants to be carried out by the NDDB on turnkey basis.
Badal also asked Milkfed to initiate an awareness campaign to strengthen the marketing network for the sale of milk and milk products not only within the state but also across the country and even abroad, besides ensuring that remunerative milk price was offered to the milk producers.
{{/usCountry}}Badal also asked Milkfed to initiate an awareness campaign to strengthen the marketing network for the sale of milk and milk products not only within the state but also across the country and even abroad, besides ensuring that remunerative milk price was offered to the milk producers.
{{/usCountry}}He also asked the Milkfed MD to set up Verka kiosks at various strategic locations across the state, especially in educational institutes and other important public places.