WAMUL celebrates 'Purabi Milk Day' in Guwahati

GUWAHATI: Assam's largest dairy cooperative, Purabi Dairy, celebrated Annual Milk Day at a function in Guwahati on October 6. The milk day, organised by West Assam Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Limited (WAMUL), popularly known as Purabi Dairy, was aimed at providing a platform for exchange of ideas and sharing experiences between the milk producers. Assam Minister for Agriculture, AHVD and Cooperation, Atul Bora, presided over the function at the 'Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra' here as the chief guest with Maninder Singh, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Department of Cooperation, as the guest of Honour. Many other senior government officials, agencies and dairy farmers graced the event.

The 'Annual Milk Day' function organized by Purabi Dairy has become a platform for the people associated with dairy farming to share their experiences and problems. This year the celebrations were organised on a smaller scale in view of the Covid-19 restrictions.

During the financial year 2020-21, West Assam Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Ltd. (popularly known as Purabi Dairy) reported an average milk procurement of around 29,000 kg per day at 4.42% Fat and 8.35% SNF with a peak procurement of around 46,000 kg per day from 359 functional dairy cooperative societies covering around 14,000 dairy farmers.

During the event Satya Brata Bose, WAMUL Managing Director pointed out that during the subsequent period of Covid-induced restrictions, the procurement went up to cross 70000 kg per day.

"During the lockdowns and market restrictions arising due to COVID-19, WAMUL played a significant role in maintaining an uninterrupted supply of value-added milk and milk products in the market without imposing a single day of milk holiday for its dairy farmers despite the market side constraints. Such spirit of this cooperative institution has immensely helped it to maintain its financial stability even during tough and turbulent times the world has witnessed since past 18 months due to the global pandemic.", he said.

During the year, WAMUL carried out extensive activities under Assam Project for Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (APART Project).

Under the project, it provided input and extension services to its dairy farmers related to genetic improvement of animals through Artificial Insemination (AI) services, intake of balanced feed and fodder for sustaining milk yield, Pashu Ayurveda for treating selected animal diseases, training and capacity building of dairy farmers and field functionaries. Besides, under the APART Project, the milk union installed and commissioned bulk milk coolers (BMC) at strategic locations for covering newer areas like Dhing, Kaliabor, Goalpara thus adding more numbers of dairy farmers through primary cooperative societies into its system. The distributed chilling infrastructure (BMC Network) also helps to maintain quality of its raw milk procured from village based primary milk cooperative societies, , stated a press release.

The milk union has always made it a point to empower its women dairy farmers by felicitating them in every Milk Day celebrations. This time also it has awarded its best women dairy farmers with a prize money of Rs 10,000, Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,000 for first, second and third respectively.

Besides women dairy farmers, WAMUL has also felicitated two of its best performing Mobile AI Technicians (MAIT) for their tireless services rendered at the doorsteps of the dairy farmers

Also Read: Purabi Dairy increases milk rate by Rs 1 per 500 ml pouch

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