With an aim to help solve the problems of milk farmers, the Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation limited (Omfed) will set up a three-lakh-litre-a-day capacity plant in Bhubaneswar.
Agriculture, Farmers Empowerment, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Pradeep Maharathy has informed this, stating that the plant would be set up at Arilo village under Govindpur mouza.
He added 51 acre of land has been bought for this purpose. For setting up the plant, the Nabard would provide an assistance of `300 crore.
The Omfed’s total current milk production capacity is 5.51 lakh litre. While, the farmers in the State are producing surplus milk, they are not able to sell their entire produce.
The new plant would absorb the surplus produce from the local dairy farmers, the Minister added.
It is to be noted that on April 20 protesting against the alleged anti-farmer policy of the Naveen Patnaik Government, milk farmers in Puri poured hundreds of litre of milk on road in front of the district Collector’s office.
The agitating farmers have been demanding a minimum procurement price offer of `30 per litre of milk by the Omfed and inclusion of milk in the menu of midday meals in schools. Notably, the Omfed has stopped procuring milk from certain milk societies citing poor quality. Recently, the Omfed decided to procure milk above 29-point density. Earlier, it used to procure milk within a range of 24-29-point density in lactometer test.