Ranchi: To make the state self-reliant in milk production, the state government will continue its association with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) even after the present contract expires next year.

Chief minister Raghubar Das said this after inaugurating a cattle feed plant and a model dairy farm at Hotwar complex of Jharkhand Milk Federation (JMF) that sells milk under brand name Medha. Das also laid the foundation of a modern dairy products plant at the complex.

"Since the state spends crores of rupees in buying milk from other states, we need to be self-reliant," he told while addressing a gathering of around 300 farmers at the Hotwar mega sports complex here. He added that the state's association with NDDB would continue till the goal was achieved.

The state government had signed an MoU with NDDB in 2014 for managing the milk federation for five years (till 2019).

"Cattle rearing provides supplementary income to farmers," Das said and directed officials to encourage women self-help groups in dairy business by providing them cows under the subsidy scheme.

Das also formally launched the scheme for providing fortified and flavoured 'gift milk' to school students across the state. The scheme was introduced in Latehar district on a pilot basis last year.

"This will address the issue of malnutrition," Das said, referring to scheme under which 17,000 students of 43 schools were being gifted 200ml of flavoured milk daily.

"JMF is now collecting and processing 1.30 lakh litres of milk everyday and 4 lakh litres more are imported from Bihar," said agriculture and animal husbandry minister Randhir Kumar Singh.

He added that they aimed at increasing milk production to 8 lakh litres per day by 2023-24 by expanding the network of Medha and setting up new plants with help from NDDB.

"We are committed to help JMF increase milk production," assured NDDB chairman Dilip Rath, adding it was already scaling new heights and collecting and processing 1.30 lakh litres of milk from 16,000 farmers of 200 village spread across 16 districts of the state within four years.

The model dairy farm that was inaugurated has high-yielding country-bred cows like Gir, Rathi and Sahiwal varieties and Mehsana bull.

The cattle feed plant, on the other hand, has been set up at a cost of Rs 7.15 crore and will produce 1,500 metric tonnes of feed every month.

"The feed produced here will be about one-fourth of the total demand of the state but will fulfil the requirements of JMF," informed agriculture and animal husbandry secretary Pooja Singhal.

The upcoming dairy products plant will process various milk products like paneer, dahi and lassi, she added.

"Like other prominent brands, these products need to be marketed in tetra packs that we are considering to introduce," she added.