Himachal Pradesh Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Chander Kumar on Thursday stated that the state-of-the-art milk processing plant under construction at Dhagwar in Kangra district will significantly strengthen the rural economy and enhance the income of dairy farmers across the state.
Review Meeting in Dharamsala
Chairing a review meeting at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Dharamsala, Kumar assessed the progress of the plant and reviewed the status of essential infrastructure required for its timely commissioning. He said the project is being reviewed regularly to ensure all construction activities are completed within the stipulated timeframe.
Kumar directed officials to accord top priority to the completion of civil works, electricity and water supply infrastructure. He also asked departments to prepare a detailed assessment of the plant's actual power and water requirements.
Processing Capacity and Farmer Benefits
The minister said the Dhagwar milk processing plant will initially have a processing capacity of 1.5 lakh litres of milk per day, which can later be expanded to 3 lakh litres daily. Once operational, the facility is expected to directly benefit more than 35,000 dairy farmers from Kangra, Chamba, Hamirpur, Mandi and Una districts by providing better marketing opportunities and improving returns on milk production.
The project is also expected to generate direct and indirect employment through transportation, supply chain management and maintenance services. Kumar said the state government is fully funding the project and has set a target of completing construction by November 2026.
Officials Present at Meeting
The meeting was attended by Milk Federation Chairman Buddhi Singh Thakur, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa, Milk Federation Managing Director Abhishek Verma, officials of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), and representatives of various government departments and executing agencies.
