*CM ASKS MILKFED TO SET UP STATE OF ART PROCUREMENT INFRASTRUCTURE IN VILLAGES*

ASKS MILKFED TO TAP POTENTIAL OVERSEAS AND IN OTHER STATES

CHANDIGARH, SEPTEMBER 1-  In a bid to strengthen cooperative sector in the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday directed the Milkfed to set up state of art procurement infrastructure in the villages for collecting and supplying best quality milk.

The Chief Minister, while chairing a review meeting of the Milkfed here, asserted that upgradation of the procurement infrastructure is the need of hour to ensure best quality of milk is collected from villages and then is supplied to consumers after processing. Bhagwant Mann envisioned that Milkfed will usher brand Verka to new horizons, where sole mantra shall be inclusive growth of all. He emphasized that Milkfed must ensure that it covers all the potential villages falling in Punjab and procure the maximum quantity of raw milk from there.

The Chief Minister unequivocally said that the sole aim of his government is to extend maximum support and best prices to the dairy farmers of Punjab by following the true essence of cooperation. He also asserted that farmer friendly schemes should be implemented so as to boost the dairying business amongst the youth so as to make them financially independent and self reliant. Bhagwant Mann also batted for setting in place modern technological interventions so as to ensure that the entire system remains transparent and user friendly.

The Chief Minister also directed the Milkfed to further launch an aggressive marketing campaign to capture sizeable chunk of consumer market not only in the state but across the country and even abroad. He said that this leading state cooperative has a perceptible presence in the domestic market as Verka is a household name in the region. Bhagwant Mann said that VERKA products like Ghee, Milk, Butter, Lassi, Kheer, Curd, Ice-Cream, Sweets and others have already created a niche for themselves in the nationwide market which could further be widened with concerted efforts.

The Chief Minister also asked Milkfed to double its turnover from Rs.4869 Crores in FY 2021-2022 to Rs 10000 Crores by FY 2026-2027. He assured fulsome support and cooperation to Milkfed for this noble cause. Bhagwant Mann also asked Mikfed to strenuous efforts to register its presence in a big way in the potential markets of adjoining states like Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Jammu-Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.

On the occasion, Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua, Special Chief Secretary Cooperation Ravneet Kaur, Registrar Cooperative Societies Neelkanth S Awhad, Managing Director Milkfed Amit Dhaka and others were also present.