Bhagalpur, Purnia to get dairy plants soon

PATNA: The Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation Limited (Comfed) has decided to make two new dairy plants in Bhagalpur and Purnia districts operational by the next three-four months, secretary of fisheries resources and animal husbandry department N Sravana Kumar said on Saturday.
Presiding over the meeting of the board of directors of Comfed, Kumar said the two new dairy plants, each with a capacity of 2 lakh litred per day, in Bhagalpur and Purnia districts would enhance the income of the milk producers of the region.
He said a dairy plant of 5 lakh litre per day and animal fodder plant of 300 MT per day were made operational at Bihian last year. The government has released a sum of Rs 53 crore to Comfed as first instalment out of Rs 234 crore for setting up dairy plants and animal fodder plants in the state.
Kumar also directed the officials to expedite the process of setting up dairy cooperative societies, milk collection centres, artificial insemination centres and animal fodder plants in villages under ‘Saat Nischay Part II’ programme of the state government.
Comfed managing director Shikha Srivastava said a four-year blueprint of expansion of the dairy projects in the state has already been submitted to the department concerned..
During review of the current fiscal 2020-21, it came to light that nearly 73% of the target of total milk collection and 98.67% of sale of pouch milk was achieved.
Additional secretary of fisheries resources and animal husbandry department and financial adviser Madhu Rani Thakur was among others present at the meeting.