Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurates milk collection centre in Upper Shillong

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in the presence of Minister in-charge of Community & Rural Development (C&RD) etc., Hamletson Dohling, on Monday inaugurated a Milk Collection Centre of the Umlyngka Primary Milk Producer Cooperative Society Ltd in Upper Shillong.

The infrastructure 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. The new building has a chilling unit and testing facilities to maintain quality checks of the milk collected at the centre. Delivering his inaugural address, the Chief Minister congratulated the cooperative society for the 'milestone' achievement, while also assuring the Government's continued support to dairy farmers in the State.

The Chief Minister 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 tonne 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 of Meghalaya itself," he added.

During his address, C&RD Minister Hamletson Dohling said 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.

Chairman of the Shillong Milk Union and founding member of the Umlyngka Primary Milk Producer Cooperative Society, PR Kharbteng gave a brief overview of the Umlyngka Primary Milk Producer Cooperative Society Ltd.

Formed in 1990, the Umlyngka Primary Milk Producers' Co-operative Society is one of the first dairy co-operative societies in Meghalaya and has been encouraging dairy farming in the villages to improve the livelihood of the villagers.

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