Start a white revolution: Sonowal to State dairy farmers

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, August 22: Assam Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal has appealed to the dairy farmers of the State to look for dairy markets in South East Asian countries and take up dairy farming to start a white revolution.

The Chief Minister said this while addressing thousands of dairy farmers gathered at the celebrations of Purabi Milk Day at Srimanta Sankardeva Intertiol Auditorium at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati today.

Citing the example of Amul in Gujarat, the Chief Minister said considering the its geographical  advantage Assam has the potential to develop its dairy sector and tap the dairy market in South East Asian countries.

“The Amul has already created a market for its products in countries like Australia, Middle East and South East Asia. Assam also has the potential to grow in dairy sector. It’s the time to resolve to capture the market in our neighbouring countries,” he said. The Chief Minister further said that Rs 18,000 crore of the Rs 25,000-crore revenue being generated annually by Amul directly benefits farmers.  

Appreciating the efforts being made by of Purabi or West Assam Milk Producers’ Union Ltd. (WAMUL), Sonowal said that the production of the WAMUL was only 500 litres a day about eight years back. “Now it has reached 50,000 litres a day, and I want this to increase to 5 lakh litres a day in next ten years,” he said.

The Chief Minister said Assam is yet to be self-sufficient in milk production and the state imports two lakh litres of milk every day from outside to meet the demand.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the Assam government has decided to invest Rs 1.20 crore in each of the 25,000 villages in Assam under Chief Minister’s Samagra Gramin Unyan Yoja. “One of the priority schemes of the government will be to develop dairy sector,” he said. The Chief Minister also rrated Prime Minister rendra Modi’s initiative towards the Northeast, and said that the Prime Minister announced to turn the Northeast into an organic hub.

Assam Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia also appealed to the dairy farmers to take examples from the highest milk-producing States like Gujarat, Harya and Kartaka, and said that Assam could also improve a lot in dairy sector. He said that WAMUL has already handed over the magement of East Assam Milk Producers’ Union Limited (EAMUL) and Cachar and Karimganj (CAMUL) to the tiol Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and appealed to the NDDB authorities to take up works soon.

The employees of WAMUL also doted Rs 1 lakh, their one day salary, to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The cheque was handed over to the Chief Minister by the chairman, WAMUL Magement Committee.

WAMUL Magement Committee chairman Sangram Choudhury, who also spoke on the occasion, thanked the milk producers of WAMUL for their efforts, and said that Assam can save Rs. 300 crore a year if the state becomes self sufficient in milk.  Choudhury also announced that additiol milk price of Rs. 1.5 crore for the dairy farmers, and ceremonially distributed it among the farmers.

The Chief Minister felicitated three women dairy famers of the Union with prize money of Rs.10,000, Rs.7,000 and Rs.5,000 for first, second and third respectively.