The expansion of Purabi Dairy into Upper Assam formally began on Saturday with the Bhumi Pujan and foundation stone laying for three new dairy processing plants at Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Dhemaji.
The main ceremony was held in Jorhat, while the Bhumi Pujan for the facilities in Dibrugarh and Dhemaji was conducted virtually during the programme.
The event was attended by Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, who joined the ceremony virtually from New Delhi.
Also present were Assam Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Krishnendu Paul, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, Power Minister Prasanta Phukan and Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, along with senior officials from the state and central governments.
According to officials, the proposed milk processing plants at Jorhat and Dibrugarh will each have a capacity of one lakh litres per day, while the facility at Dhemaji will process up to 50,000 litres of milk daily once operational.
The Jorhat plant will be set up by East Assam Milk Producers’ Cooperative Union Limited under the National Programme for Dairy Development.
The plants at Dibrugarh and Dhemaji will be established by the Assam government’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund and will be operated by North East Dairy and Foods Limited as part of the Purabi Dairy network.
North East Dairy and Foods Limited is a joint venture between the Government of Assam and the National Dairy Development Board, tasked with planning and expanding cooperative dairy activities in the state.
Officials said the new facilities will follow the same operational model as other Purabi Dairy plants, including the recently inaugurated processing unit in Silchar.
Milk procurement operations in Upper Assam are already being undertaken by East Assam Milk Union Limited under the Purabi Dairy network.
Managed by NDDB since 2023, the cooperative currently covers more than 1,300 villages through about 540 dairy cooperative societies and has enrolled over 11,000 dairy farmers across districts such as Jorhat, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Darrang, Udalguri, Sonitpur, Charaideo, Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Majuli.
Addressing the programme, Rajiv Ranjan Singh said the expansion of Purabi Dairy’s infrastructure reflects the Centre’s commitment to strengthening India’s cooperative dairy movement and improving livelihoods for rural producers.
He said the new plants would integrate local dairy farmers into organised procurement networks while ensuring the supply of hygienically processed milk to consumers.
Krishnendu Paul said the projects mark another milestone in implementing the Assam Dairy Development Plan under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
He noted that the state government is working to build a farmer-centric dairy ecosystem by expanding organised milk procurement and modern processing infrastructure across different regions of Assam.
Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board Meenesh Shah said the new processing plants would help strengthen the cooperative dairy value chain in Assam by connecting farmers in Upper Assam to organised procurement and modern processing systems, thereby supporting sustainable livelihoods.
Officials said that once operational, the new facilities will significantly boost milk procurement and processing capacity in Upper Assam while strengthening the organised dairy value chain linking farmers, processing units and markets.
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The projects are part of the Assam Dairy Development Plan, a major initiative being implemented by the state government in partnership with NDDB to expand cooperative dairying and modern milk infrastructure across Assam.
Under the programme, the state aims to build processing capacity of more than 10 lakh litres of milk per day while expanding market access and income opportunities for dairy farmers.
During the event, the government also announced the expansion of veterinary infrastructure with the inauguration of Multicare Veterinary Hospitals in Golaghat, Lakhimpur, Tinsukia and Kamrup, while foundation plaques for similar facilities in Sivasagar and Sribhumi were unveiled virtually.
Officials said the expansion of Purabi Dairy into Upper Assam and other regions such as the Barak Valley is aimed at strengthening a farmer-driven dairy ecosystem in the state while ensuring reliable access to safe and quality milk products for consumers.
