DEOGARH: The joint efforts of Deogarh administration and Odisha Milk Federation (OMFED) in setting up multiple milk chilling centres in the district has fostered hope among dairy farmers of the area who were unable to sell their produce due to lack of logistics.
While one of the centres at Palkudar village in Tileibeni block was inaugurated on Friday, the other two in Ballam of Barkote and another in Reamal block had opened on April 24 and June 8 respectively.
The centres have a capacity of storing 1,000 litre milk. The district now has one centre each in all the three blocks. Three more centres at Kala village in Barkote, Kundheigola in Reamal and Ghuglipatha at Tileibeni block are on cards.
Sources said the milk chilling centres were started on an experimental basis by the joint efforts of collector Somesh Upadhyay along with OMFED and Samaleswari Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd to help the dairy farmers of Deogarh who in absence of cold chain, were forced to supply their products in nearby areas. Some even had to sell their cows off owing to lack of market.
Chief district veterinary officer (CDVO) Satyaranjan Rout said the centres so far have yielded an overwhelming response. “The Ballam centre which received only 100 litre milk on its first day, now gets around 515 litre from 144 pouring members. Similarly, over 300 litre milk is being collected from 148 members at Reamal centre. The milk is collected twice a day and OMFED staff deputed at the centres to look after them,” he informed.
A cooperative member in Ballam Biswanath Acharya said, “Usually small farmers found it difficult to sell their produce to OMFED due to less quantity. But with opening of the chilling centres, a majority of farmers are interested in selling their milk to OMFED,” he added. The farmers usually receive up to `48 for a litre of milk depending on the quality unlike the local market where they got a fixed price. “We also get fodder support which helps us maintain cattle. The chilling centres also provide incentives to women members,” he said.
Upadhyay said dairy farming wasn’t encouraging for Deogarh farmers due to absence of cold chain. “The idea of milk chilling centres emerged during our interaction with the farmers and Operation Flood-Deogarh was carried out on pilot basis. For the purpose, the unused government buildings were converted into chilling centres. Given the success of the initiative, the OMC has allotted `1.86 crore to open more milk chilling centres in the district,” he added.