Hyderabad: The Telangana government planned to strengthen state-owned Vijaya Dairy through modernisation, better marketing and expanded Vijaya Dairy support for milk producers, Minister Vakiti Srihari said on Saturday.
Srihari, who held the Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries portfolio, announced the measures in the Legislative Council. He was replying to questions concerning milk procurement and support for dairy farmers.
The Minister said Vijaya Dairy had recorded a temporary decline in milk procurement because of a prolonged lean season. However, the government had initiated measures to improve its operations and increase procurement.
He said the dairy would undergo modernisation, while the government would also focus on improving the marketing of its milk products. The measures would seek to provide quality products to consumers.
Srihari also clarified that neither the government nor Vijaya Dairy had pending milk procurement payments to farmers. He claimed dairy farmers in Telangana were receiving milk procurement prices that ranked among the highest in the country.
Vijaya Dairy support includes genuine milk paneer
Srihari said the government had banned artificial paneer. He assured the Council that Vijaya Dairy sold paneer produced from genuine milk. The government also planned additional revenue-generating measures for the state-owned dairy. These included setting up petrol bunks and shopping complexes at various locations.
The proposed initiatives formed part of efforts to increase Vijaya Dairy’s revenue while strengthening its overall financial position. Meanwhile, Srihari said the Animal Husbandry Department had recruited 110 veterinarians. It had also recruited 304 compounders to strengthen services in the sector.
The government planned further measures to support dairy farmers and increase milk availability. In particular, it would facilitate bank loans for farmers and distribute dairy buffaloes. The Vijaya Dairy support measures were aimed at boosting milk production and narrowing the gap between demand and supply, Srihari said.
Facilitating bank finance and distributing dairy buffaloes would help farmers increase production. At the same time, the government planned to strengthen the state-owned dairy’s procurement, marketing and revenue operations.
Srihari linked the measures to the government’s broader efforts to improve support for dairy farmers. He said the administration was addressing both production requirements and Vijaya Dairy’s operational needs.
The government would also focus on maintaining product quality while improving the marketing of milk products. Additionally, the proposed commercial ventures would provide Vijaya Dairy with new sources of revenue.
The Minister maintained that the dairy’s recent decline in procurement was temporary and resulted from the prolonged lean season. He said the government had taken steps to strengthen the organisation while supporting farmers who supplied milk.