- NET Web Desk
The Meghalaya Chief Minister – Conrad Sangma today unveiled the Milk Collection Centre of the Umlyngka Primary Milk Producer Cooperative Society Limited, in presence of the Minister of Information Technology & Communication (ICT) and Rural Development Department – Hamletson Dohling.
Sponsored under the Chief Minister’s Special Rural Development Fund (CMSRDF) and Special Rural Works Programme (SRWP) scheme with a project cost of around Rs. 37 lakhs; this new facility incorporates of a chilling unit, testing facilities to maintain quality checks of the milk collected at the centre.
Taking to Twitter, the Meghalaya CM wrote “In the presence of our dairy farmers, inaugurated the Milk Collection Center of the Umlyngka Primary Milk Producer Co-Operative Society Ltd. at Umlyngka, Upper Shillong funded through convergence of CMSDF & SRWP schemes.”
“Bah P R Kharbteng is passionately leading the front since the Society’s inception in 1990. With his efforts, supplemented by the various schemes of the Govt. the Society now produces 4500 Ltrs of milk & from a mere 3 members, the Society is now a community of 120 dairy farmers” – he further added.
Bah P R Kharbteng is passionately leading the front since the Society’s inception in 1990. With his efforts, supplemented by the various schemes of the Govt. the Society now produces 4500 Ltrs of milk & from a mere 3 members, the Society is now a community of 120 dairy farmers pic.twitter.com/TnE60c1fk7
— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) June 27, 2022
The Meghalaya CM commended the cooperative society on reaching this ‘milestone’ accomplishment, while also assuring the state government’s continued support to the dairy producers.
“There is a deficit of 50 to 60 percent in the State’s milk production and therein lies a huge opportunity for the local dairy farmers to meet the market demand for milk in the State.” – informed Sangma.
He also emphasized the crucial role of dairy cooperative societies in making the State become self-reliant in milk production.
“Almost close to 2.5 lakh metric tons of milk is required and more than 50% to 60% is not available which means there is a huge market within the State of Meghalaya itself,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dohling noted that “the Umlyngka Primary Milk Producer Cooperative Society which has been in existence for the past 32 years is a role model for other cooperative societies in the region and its success is a great example and an encouragement for others to take up dairying.”
Its worthy to note that the Umlyngka Primary Milk Producers’ Co-operative Society is one of the first dairy co-operative Society of Meghalaya formed in 1990, with an aim to encourage dairy farming across the hamlet; thereby improving the livelihood of villagers.