Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, March 16
The Himachal Pradesh government has signed three agreements with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to expand the state’s dairy sector, in a move it says will strengthen the rural economy and create jobs closer to home.
The memorandums of understanding were signed in Shimla on Monday in the presence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The agreements are between the NDDB and the state-run Himachal Pradesh Milkfed.
Under the plan, a major milk processing plant at Dhagwar in Kangra district is expected to be completed by September. The plant will be fully operated by the NDDB.
New dairy plants will also be set up at Nahan in Sirmaur district and Nalagarh in Solan district. In addition, chilling centres will be established at Jhalari in Hamirpur and Jharela in Una.
Mr Sukhu said the state government was making “special efforts” to establish Himachal as a strong dairy-producing region as part of its wider push to make the state more self-reliant.
He said the government had prioritised the rural economy from the outset and was working to develop the dairy sector to provide “respectable employment” for people in villages without forcing them to leave their homes.
The chief minister said Himachal had become the state offering the highest support price for milk procurement in India. He also said revenue support through a milk cess on liquor had helped the sector in the state budget.
Mr Sukhu said work on the Dhagwar milk plant would be completed by September, and that dairy products under the Him brand would be launched in the market by October.
He said the government’s reforms were aimed at putting money directly into the hands of farmers and strengthening the rural economy over the long term.
