The Himachal Pradesh Government has approved the establishment of new milk processing plants at Nahan, Nalagarh, Mohal, and Rohru, along with a milk chilling centre at Jalari in Hamirpur district and a bulk milk cooler at Jhalera in Una district. The move is aimed at modernising dairy infrastructure, enhancing milk collection, and ensuring better returns for farmers.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that with over 90 percent of the state’s population residing in rural areas and engaged in farming, dairy development is a key priority. “The establishment of new plants will increase milk collection, ensure fair returns to farmers, and improve quality standards in milk procurement,” he stated.
To improve transparency and efficiency, the Himachal Pradesh Milk Federation (Milkfed) will introduce an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Farmers will be able to access real-time information on milk collection, payment status, quality test results, and procurement rates directly on their mobile phones. Digital record-keeping will reduce errors, prevent manipulation, and speed up bill processing, with payments credited directly to farmers’ bank accounts.
A modern milk processing plant at Dhagwar in Kangra district is also under construction. Once operational, it will produce curd, lassi, butter, ghee, paneer, flavoured milk, khoya, and mozzarella cheese, further strengthening the dairy sector.
Himachal Pradesh has also become the first state in India to introduce a Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme for milk procurement. Under the scheme, cow milk is procured at ₹51 per litre and buffalo milk at ₹61 per litre. Farmers delivering milk to notified collection centres more than two kilometres away are receiving an additional transport subsidy of ₹2 per litre.
The Chief Minister said the state government remains committed to improving rural livelihoods through sustained investments in animal husbandry and dairy infrastructure.
