New 2,000-litre facility aims to improve milk handling, income and veterinary support for tribal producers.
India’s government has inaugurated a new 2,000-litre bulk milk cooler at Dharni in the Melghat region of Maharashtra, a socially and economically challenged area targeted for rural development. The unit, overseen by the National Dairy Development Board and implemented with support from Mother Dairy, is expected to modernise milk collection and significantly reduce spoilage in a region where logistics and refrigeration have historically constrained dairy expansion.
Speaking at the inauguration via video link, Nitin Gadkari emphasised that the cooler represents more than infrastructure: it signals a fresh push to revitalise local livelihoods. By improving milk aggregation and preservation, the facility should enhance returns for marginal producers and strengthen their participation in formal dairy supply chains, while creating employment opportunities within Melghat’s rural economy.
The minister noted that dairy output in the region has been rising and the cooler will support that trend by giving producers access to reliable chilling capacity near the point of collection. This shift is expected to help meet a regional production target of one lakh litres per day, aligning Melghat’s dairy sector with state and national growth objectives for milk procurement and value addition.
In addition to the cooling infrastructure, Gadkari highlighted the importance of veterinary guidance and technical support for farmers, which Mother Dairy will help provide. Strengthening animal health services, breeding assistance and extension support are seen as complementary interventions to elevate productivity and embed resilience within local herd management practices.
For dairy producers, processors and supply chain analysts, the Melghat bulk milk cooler project exemplifies how targeted infrastructure investments can unlock smallholder potential. By reducing post-harvest losses, improving quality at collection points and fostering linkages to larger processors, such initiatives may help integrate remote producers into broader dairy markets and contribute to regional socio-economic transformation.
Source: ThePrint – https://theprint.in/india/gadkari-inaugurates-bulk-milk-cooler-facility-in-melghat-region/2867503/
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