Agartala, September 30: The Tripura government has drawn up plans to expand the state’s dairy sector by increasing milk production, strengthening cooperative networks and providing greater financial and technical support to dairy farmers, Animal Resources Development Minister Sudhangshu Das said.
Das made the remarks at the 13th Board Meeting of the Gomati Cooperative Milk Union, 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).
The minister said Tripura’s existing milk production was insufficient to meet the growing demand of consumers and stressed the need for institutional cooperation and technical expertise to bridge the gap.
“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 discussions would focus on improving milk production and processing with the help of NDDB’s expertise, while also strengthening marketing and distribution networks to ensure dairy products reach 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 outlined several expansion initiatives, including increasing the number of dairy farmers associated with the cooperative from the present 6,642 to 10,000.
The Union also plans to establish 52 new milk-producing cooperative societies as part of efforts to expand its network at the grassroots level.
The recently acquired Tridha Dairy at Kamalpur will be integrated into the Union’s operations, while a new dairy plant at Bamutia, with a processing capacity of 40,000 litres per day, is also being operationalised.
Ghosh said the expansion marked a significant growth for Gomati Dairy, which had started with a capacity of only 5,000 litres in 1982 and has 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 being reviewed to improve the profitability and returns of dairy farmers, Ghosh said.
The board also discussed effective implementation of Central and state government schemes aimed at supporting cattle rearers and dairy farmers.
NDDB North-East Coordinator Sabyasachi Roy, ARD Department Secretary, the Union’s Managing Director and Secretary, and other board members and officials attended the meeting.
