Goa Dairy gets Rs 8 cr Central aid, plans various projects

Team Herald

PONDA: Goa Dairy has received an amount of Rs 8 crore from the Central government to modernise and improve the quality and quantity of its milk production. The aid would also help local farmers get better rate, besides competing with SUMUL.

Goa Dairy Managing Director Navso Sawanth said the central government had recently sanctioned Rs 16.41 crore for Goa Dairy under the National Programme for Dairy Development project and Goa Dairy had received the first instalment of Rs 7.91 crore from the Centre, which has been credited to Goa Dairy Account and the amount was to be utilised before March 31 next year on Goa Dairy development projects.

He thanked the chief minister and veterinary director for their cooperation in getting approval of Central Government for their Project for the first time, with various development plans sent to Central Government for the financial approval.

He said the Goa State Cooperative Milk Union (Goa Dairy) at Curti-Ponda had submitted its proposal for development project worth Rs 21 crore through the State animal husbandry department to the Union ministry for availing the NPDD scheme in April 2017.

The fund will be utilised to provide bulk milk cooler of various capacity (500 and 1000 litres) to societies supplying milk to Goa Dairy and also to Goa Dairy members and farmers. 

Besides, an individual farmer whose milk collection was more than 200 litres per day would be provided with bulk milk cooler with capacity of 500 litres. 

Goa Dairy will also replace its old machinery in operation since 1982 and has already got approval for purchase of two tankers with 12,000-litre capacity. Around 2500 cans of 10-litre capacity will also be provided to farmers, while automatic milk processor and approval and bill processor, computer, weight machine would be provided to societies to improve its routine affairs, which would help in raising the milk production.