Bihar’s Sudha to challenge Gujarat’s milk production

AMBITIOUS PLAN TO DOUBLE OUTPUT

NEW PLANTS PROPOSED AT BIHARSHARIF, DEHRI-ON-SONE, JAMUI

May 29, 2011, Patna: In a major bid to boost milk production and distribution in the state, Sudha Dairy, owned by (Compfed), has planned to commission three more dairies. The new diaries will be set up at Biharsharif, Dehri-On-Sone and Jamui. This is part of the plan by Compfed to increase its milk output over 50% by 2011-2 . New plants were imperative as demand for milk has shot up drastically. While Biharsharif dairy will have a capacity of 4 lakh litres per day, Dehri-On-Sone will produce 1 lakh litres of milk daily and Jamui dairy 10,000 litres daily.

At present, Compfed has 14 dairies with a daily production of 14 lakh litres. This is to be increased to 22 lakh litres by the end of current financial year.

Compfed is also expanding milk processing capacity of its existing diaries. While, capacity of Samastipur Dairy will being doubled to 5 lakh litres daily, the Muzaffarpur dairy will have a capacity of 2.5 lakh litres daily by the end of the year. Capacity of Compfed's other dairies at Ara, Gaya, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Darbhanga, Kaimur and Bokaro is also being expanded.

Currently Gujarat and Bihar are competing neck to neck, with each producing approximately 14-lakh liters of milk per day. With these new plants Bihar is expected to overtake Gujarat.

Beside meeting state’s domestic demand, Sudha Dairy also supplies milk to Delhi, UP, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and Assam.