New Delhi, August 7: The Assam Government has extended the management of West Assam Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Ltd (WAMUL) by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for another 5 years. This was decided at a meeting between Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and NDDB Chairman Mr Meenesh Shah held in Guwahati on August 6, 2021.
In 2008 the Assam Government had handed over the management of WAMUL, which was on the verge of closure, to restore and revive Assam’s dairy cooperative institution. Since then WAMUL has been on high growth path.
To further strengthen the dairy movement in the state, the Assam Government has again extended NDDB’s management of WAMUL for further period of 5 years. An agreement to this effect was also signed on 6 August 2021.
In the meeting, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma urged NDDB Chairman Mr Meenesh Shah to ensure the next growth surge of dairy institutions in Assam.
The Chief Minister showed keen interest in adopting innovative ways to develop the dairy infrastructure and enhance productivity of milch animals through sex sorted semen and embryo transfer technology.
He hoped that NDDB’s intervention will safeguard interest of Assam’s rural milk producers and bring the much-needed transformation of rural households.
Seeking necessary support to dairy institutions of Assam from the government, Mr Meenesh Shah said NDDB and its subsidiaries are already associated with the dairy development activities of Assam.
The NDDB is always committed to support institutions that remain true to cooperative values, he added. Mr Shah also met Mr Atul Bora, Assam Government’s Minister for Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, and discussed about various aspects of dairy development and creating a road map to boost up the rural economy.
Presently, WAMUL procures average daily quantity of 41,000 kg of milk from 13,916 dairy farmers in Assam. Today brand “Purabi” markets around 64,000 litres of milk per day. Although the market was adversely impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic, WAMUL still attained a sales turnover of Rs 120 crore 31st March 2021.
