A milk collection centre at the State’s first dairy cooperative society, the Umlyngka Primary Milk Producer Cooperative Society Ltd., was inaugurated by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today at Umlyngka, Upper Shillong.
Formed in 1990, with an aim to encourage dairy farming in the village and to improve the livelihood of the villagers, the society that produces more than 4,500 LPD with 120 active dairy farmers is now equipped with a chilling unit and testing facilities to maintain quality checks of milk collected the center.
The infrastructure at the centre is funded 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 lakh.
At the cooperative society, the individual farmer brings the milk produced at his farm which is then processed and marketed through the East Khasi Hills District Co-operative Milk Union Ltd., Shillong.
The Umlyngka Primary Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society has its own bulk milk chilling unit and road milk tanker provided through a central sector scheme under National Programme of Dairy Development (NPDD).
The Meghalaya Milk Mission scheme has also contributed to the growth of each farmer through the co-operative societies across the village. The Umlyngka Primary Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society has now increased its production of milk through the Meghalaya Milk Mission scheme.
The chief minister during his inaugural speech informed that there is a deficit of 50 to 60 per cent 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. He also underlined the important role of dairy cooperative societies in making the State self-reliant in milk production.
“Almost close to 2.5 lakh metric tons of milk is required and more than 50 per cent to 60 per cent is not available which means there is a huge market within the State itself”, he added.
C&RD Minister, Hamletson Dohling said that the 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.
Chairman of the Shillong Milk Union and founding member of the society, P. R. Kharbteng gave a brief overview of the Umlyngka Primary Milk Producer Cooperative Society Ltd.
