Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has given his official approval for a significant expansion plan for the state's flagship dairy brand, Sudha. The move aims to broaden the reach of Sudha milk products beyond Bihar's borders and strengthen the entire dairy ecosystem, from procurement to marketing.
CM's Review Meeting Sets Stage for Growth
During a detailed review meeting held on Sunday at the hall of the Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation Limited (COMFED), the Chief Minister expressed his satisfaction with the brand's growing footprint. The meeting was attended by officials and functionaries of the federation, where Managing Director Shirshat Kapil Ashok presented a comprehensive overview.
The presentation covered COMFED's past performance, current status, and a proposed five-year expansion road map. The MD outlined the strengths of the network, which includes milk producers' associations, cooperative committees, procurement infrastructure, and processing plants.
"The new thrust to milk production, procurement and marketing of its products began to be given with the launch of the agriculture road map in 2008 to augment income of the milk producers. It has brought about a quality change in the state’s dairy sector since then," CM Nitish Kumar stated during the meeting.
Strategic Focus on Farmers and New Markets
The Chief Minister emphasized the need to further expand the network of milk cooperative committees. This expansion is seen as crucial for boosting the income of farmers linked to the dairy sector and for generating more employment opportunities. He also stressed scaling up milk production, procurement, and processing capacities.
"New markets for the Sudha products should be explored and there should be a standing plan for its tapping. The dairy sector has to make an immense contribution to the state’s development," Kumar added, setting a clear directive for the federation.
Prior to the meeting, the CM inspected the Patna dairy project at Phulwarisharif. He toured various units including the production hall, ice-cream plant, and curd cold room, seeking detailed information from the accompanying officials.
Sudha's Impressive Current Reach and Future Potential
Started in 1983, the Sudha brand today offers a wide array of products. Its portfolio includes:
- Ghee, peda, curd, table butter, and paneer
- Sweets like gulab jamun, rasgulla, and balushahi
- Beverages such as mattha and lassi
- Ice cream, white makkhan, and skimmed milk powder
The brand's geographical reach is already substantial. Milk in tetra packs from the Nalanda dairy project is supplied to:
- North Eastern states: Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh
- Jharkhand and Sikkim
- The Indian Army
- Metropolitan cities like Delhi and Kolkata
Notably, Sudha has also entered the export market. In March this year, it sent 5 metric tonnes of ghee to the United States and 8 metric tonnes of 'gulab jamun' to Canada.
This expanding sector is powered by a robust base of 7.5 lakh farmers who own milch cattle. These farmers are associated with 21,000 milk cooperative committees, supplying a staggering 22 lakh kg of milk per day. The potential capacity stands at 30 lakh kg daily.
COMFED currently possesses a processing capacity of 54 lakh kg per day. On average, Sudha markets 16 lakh litres of pouch milk daily and uses an additional 3.5 lakh litres of milk each day to prepare its range of milk products.
The Chief Minister's approval paves the way for the next phase of growth, aiming to solidify Sudha's position as a national and international dairy brand while transforming Bihar's rural economy.
