Major expansion of Amul in Bengal with 10-lakh-litre dairy plant

IBNS-CMEDIA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday performed the Bhoomi Pujan (foundation ceremony) for the curd manufacturing plant under the Amul Bengal Dairy Project at a ceremony held at the New Town Convention Centre in Kolkata.

Shah said in the first phase of the project, 10 lakh litres of milk will be processed every day,  benefiting around 1.20 lakh small milk producers and livestock rearers.

Shah said West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari decided to provide 30 acres of land free of cost to the Amul Federation.

This decision has paved the way for nearly 100 major investments to come to West Bengal, he said.

“It will also help secure the highest possible price for the milk supplied by around 2.5 lakh livestock rearers,” Shah said.

Shah said that more than 18,600 rural dairy cooperative societies are currently associated with Amul, and Amul products reach almost every State in the country.

Addressing every citizen who uses Amul products, he said that when a consumer spends Rs 100 on an Amul product, around Rs 87 goes directly to the farmer and livestock rearer.

Shah said the Government of India will establish a major centre for animal breed improvement in West Bengal.

“This will enable milk producers to access improved breeds of animals with higher milk yields. A Sex-Sorted Semen facility will also be established in the State, helping increase the number of milch animals and improve dairy productivity,” Shah said.

Amul is establishing the Amul Bengal Dairy Project at the Howrah Food Park in West Bengal with an investment of approximately Rs 700 crore.

Once fully operational, the project will be capable of processing around 30 lakh litres of milk per day.

The plant will have the capacity to produce approximately 1,000 metric tonnes, or 10 lakh kilograms, of curd and other cultured dairy products every day.

With this capacity, it will be the world’s largest curd manufacturing plant.

The project’s proposed daily production capacity includes 10 lakh litres of packaged milk, two lakh litres of UHT milk, one lakh litres of ice cream, 20 metric tonnes of paneer, 10 metric tonnes of ghee and 10 metric tonnes of sweets.

In addition, the plant will be capable of producing around 2.5 lakh packs of flavoured milk every day.

The Amul Bengal Dairy Project will expand modern processing, value addition, cold-chain and marketing facilities in West Bengal’s dairy sector.