Indian state approves government dairy purchases from Milkfed and four cooperatives

The purchasing arrangement covers departments, hospitals, educational establishments, hostels and canteens, alongside government boards, corporations, public-sector enterprises and other state establishments. Purchases can be made according to each institution’s needs and the products available from participating cooperatives.

Two of the additional eligible suppliers are based in Namhol in Bilaspur district: Kamdhenu Hitkari Manch and Kehloor Milk Producer Cooperative Society. The other two operate in Solan district: Gau Amrit Dugdh Utpadak Society in Paplota and Amrit Dhara Dairy Cooperative Society in Darlaghat. These societies are included alongside the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation, known as Milkfed.

According to the state government, Milkfed’s dairy-development operations span 11 districts. It collects milk through a network of 799 primary producer cooperatives serving approximately 55,300 milk producers. That existing collection network provides the infrastructure through which the federation can supply the additional institutional market.

The government has also highlighted measures supporting payments to dairy farmers, including procurement rates linked to milk quality and minimum support pricing. These measures are intended to improve producers’ remuneration. The institutional purchasing initiative adds a sales channel for locally produced milk alongside cooperatives’ conventional retail distribution.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the government was committed to supporting the rural economy by securing remunerative returns and assured access to markets for farmers and milk producers. The government’s objectives include encouraging dairy farming as a sustainable livelihood and supporting employment in rural areas. The initiative forms part of its wider effort to promote rural economic self-reliance through local resources and agricultural activity.

The policy also addresses dairy farming’s role as a source of household earnings for small and marginal farmers, women and rural youth. Hospitals, student accommodation, educational establishments and public canteens require recurring dairy supplies. Serving these institutions entails milk collection, chilling, processing, testing and distribution arrangements capable of meeting their purchasing requirements and regular delivery schedules.