The Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Dairy Federation (PCDF) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for the operation of three dairy plants in Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Kannauj, along with a animal feed production facility in Ambedkar Nagar. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was present during the function. The government said that with NDDB taking charge of these facilities, new standards of efficiency, transparency and professionalism would be established. Farmers will also benefit from timely payments, better prices and stable marketing channels. Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that by handing over the management to an experienced and capable institution like the NDDB, these units will improve in terms of technical skill, transparency, and direct benefits for farmers. He added that if Uttar Pradesh’s huge potential in livestock and milk production is developed in a planned and scientific way, the state can not only become the top milk producer in the country but also make its mark globally. The MoU with NDDB is an important, practical and forward-looking step in that direction. CM Adityanath also highlighted that dairy development in Uttar Pradesh has given fresh impetus to women’s empowerment. He mentioned the role of women in places like Balini Milk Producer Company in Jhansi and other districts like Agra and Gorakhpur and praised NDDB’s support in making this happen. He noted that even though the state had great potential in farming and animal husbandry, previous governments had ignored this sector due to a lack of vision and proper policies. This left farmers disappointed and reduced the state’s valuable livestock. The Chief Minister urged PCDF to adopt NDDB’s best practices, emphasizing that the partnership will steer Uttar Pradesh’s dairy sector toward a more progressive and efficient future. Chairman NDDB, Meenesh Shah, expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister for his support during the successful organisation of the World Dairy Summit 2022 in Noida. He also updated the gathering on the latest progress of NDDB’s dairy development projects in Uttar Pradesh. He assured that the three dairy plants and one animal feed unit handed over to NDDB would soon emerge as model and profit-making units in the state. The Principal Secretary of the Dairy Development Department informed that the Kanpur dairy plant, built at a cost of Rs 160.84 crore, has a processing capacity of 4 lakh litres per day. The Gorakhpur and Kannauj plants, constructed at Rs 61.80 crore and Rs 88.05 crore respectively, each have a daily capacity of 1 lakh litres. Although these plants were completed earlier, they remained underutilized due to the absence of commercial buyers and high operating costs. With NDDB now taking over operations, all three units are expected to function at full capacity. Also, the Ambedkar Nagar-based central animal feed manufacturing unit will also be transferred to NDDB under this agreement. Built at a cost of Rs 18.44 crore, this unit currently produces 100 metric tonnes of bypass protein feed per day, helping farmers across the state access affordable cattle feed. This financial year, the unit is estimated to earn a profit of Rs 66.88 lakh. The operations of these units handed over to NDDB aimed to help timely payments to farmers, active participation of local cooperative societies, planned use of resources, proper maintenance of equipment, and reduction of unnecessary expenses. The government further stated, under this model, there will be no extra financial burden on the state government, and the revenue-sharing benefits will be equally shared between the state and the farmers.
