File picture of an Amul hoarding

Guwahati, July 6: The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) of Amul fame is likely to take over West Assam Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Ltd (Wamul), the creators of milk brand Purabi, to give it a more professional touch and improve its marketing.

A senior official said the Assam government is keenly awaiting the NDDB’s board meeting in which the decision for the takeover is expected to be finalised. The government will then take a cabinet decision to transfer Wamul to NDDB.

The official pointed out that as far as the taking over of Purabi plant by NDDB is concerned, it has decided in principle that NDDB would opt for the takeover and bring it to its full capacity utilisation of 60,000 litres per day from the present production of 10,000 litres per day.

The World Bank team, before launching the Assam Agricultural Competitiveness Project (AACP) last year, had put a precondition that NDDB has to take over the plant so that it becomes a source of constant demand for the 250 dairy co-operative societies and 250 self- help groups to be created under AACP by the dairy development department.

“It is only a matter of time before the decision gets implemented. As far as the board meeting of NDDB is concerned, it is their internal decision,” the official said.

The World Bank project report says that officials will be trained in successful techniques developed by NDDB in efficient milk production. Constraints to milk market access would be identified and potential interventions laid out. “A huge workforce would also be required if the present capacity utilisation is increased to 10,000 litres per day,” the official added. A tripartite agreement will have to be signed between the state government, NDDB and the workers of Wamul.

Wamul managing director of J. Choudhury said the proposed plan of being taken over by NDDB would benefit the organisation in becoming more professional and market-savvy. He added that it would also help increase production and extend services.

Choudhury said the workers had conveyed their views to the government, saying they have no problem as long as there was no retrenchment.

The official said a modern dairy and products plant is coming up near Guwahati and other industrial groups have offered equity participation for dairy plants with the state government.

A modern milk testing laboratory will be set up here under the World Bank funded Assam Agricultural Competitiveness Project to help the authorities finding out the adulteration levels. The official said the proposed modern milk-testing laboratory would give all the necessary parameters required for finding out the adulteration level.

The project would also lead to organised production, procurement and marketing of milk, which will help in giving remunerative price to the milk producers and quality milk to consumers.

West Assam Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Ltd. came into existence in 1976 as a Union of Milk Producers’ Co-operatives of Nagaon, Morigaon, Goalpara, Nalbari and Kamrup districts of Assam. This Union was set up under the Operation Flood programme of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for dairy development in the region through Amul pattern co-operative infrastructure and by establishing a symbiotic relationship between milk producers, techno professionals, marketing people and consumers.

One of the main goals of West Assam Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Ltd is to increase the milk production in the hinterland and milk sheds of Guwahati through networks of Anand pattern co-operative infrastructure.