Himachal: Dhagwar milk processing plant to benefit 35,000 farmers, says CM Sukhu

Sukhu also said the capacity of the milk processing plant in Duttnagar, Shimla district, has been increased from 20,000 litres to 70,000 litres per day at a cost of ₹25.67 crore.

Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art milk processing plant with a capacity of 1.50 lakh liters per day (LLPD) in Dhagwar, Kangra district on Thursday. He said that the plant’s initial processing capacity of 1.50 LLPD can be expanded to 3 LLPD in the future. Once operational, the Dhagwar milk processing plant will significantly strengthen the economy of farmers in Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Chamba and Una districts, benefiting over 35,000 milk producers, he said.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laying the foundation stone for a milk processing plant at Dhagwar in Kangra district on Thursday. (HT photo)

“In addition to boosting the incomes of milk producers, the plant will create employment opportunities in milk collection, processing, quality control and distribution. It will also generate indirect jobs in sectors such as transportation, supply chain management and maintenance services,” he added.

The CM said the entire funding for the construction of this plant was being provided by the state government, which will be completed by February 2026. He mentioned that once the processing plant becomes operational, farmers will receive payments of ₹40 lakh daily. He said that after the increase in milk rates, Milkfed’s daily milk procurement has risen from 1,40,000 litres to 2,10,000 litres.

The advanced milk processing plant will process 1.50 lakh liters of milk daily, producing a wide range of dairy products, including curd, lassi, butter, ghee, cheese, flavored milk, khoya and mozzarella cheese.

Sukhu also said that the capacity of the milk processing plant in Duttnagar, Shimla district, has been increased from 20,000 litres to 70,000 litres per day at a cost of ₹25.67 crore. This enhanced capacity is benefiting dairy farmers in Shimla, Kullu, Mandi and Kinnaur districts, with around 20,000 farmers associated with 271 dairy cooperative societies reaping the rewards.