NDDB non-committal on paying higher procurement price to milk-farmers

The farmers in the region are paid Rs 290 per kilo fat instead of Rs 320 in other dairies such as Surendranagar. NDDB official said,“We cannot say whether we will be able to give higher price. It depends on the prevailing milk price and other costs.”

The processing plant is needed in Kutch as the milk collection in the district has been increasing consistently. According to data with the NDDB,40.97 lakh litres of milk was procured in the financial year 2007-08,with Rs 5.93 crore paid to the farmers. In 2008-09,the milk collected was 66.67 lakh litres,with farmers receiving Rs 9.49 crore.

An NDDB official said the dairy is being set up in Madhavpura to save the cost of transporting the chilled milk from cooling units to the Junagadh dairy for processing,packing and then to take it back to Bhuj and other places in the district for sale.

With the beginning of he winter season,the NDDB is also in the expansion mode of the Junagadh dairy. “The quantity of milk increases during winters and we cannot say no to farmers. So,we have decided to have additional capacity at the Junagadh dairy,” said an NDDB official.

Junagadh,Surendranagar and Kutch dairies are part of the tripartite agreement between the Gujarat government,NDDB and the Gujarat Dairy Development Corporation (GDDC) which were handed over to the NDDB in February 2005 for revival after the GDDC got defunct.