SHIMLA -30 October, 2026 -Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania has welcomed the state government's decision to increase the incentive for milk producers from Rs. 3 to Rs. 6 per litre and expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

He said that the decisions being taken by the state government under the Chief Minister's visionary leadership were directly benefiting thousands of livestock-rearing families and strengthening the rural economy.

He said that eligible milk producers associated with non-governmental dairy cooperative societies would now receive an incentive of Rs. 6 per litre through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The government has allocated Rs. 14 crore for this purpose.

Sh. Pathania said that Himachal Pradesh, under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, had become the first state in the country to introduce a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for milk procurement. The state was offering the highest milk procurement prices in the country for both cow and buffalo milk.

He said that the state government had taken a historic step by increasing the procurement price of cow milk from Rs. 32 to Rs. 61 per litre and buffalo milk from Rs. 47 to Rs. 71 per litre. This decision was providing milk producers across the state with an additional financial benefit of Rs. 48.86 crore every month, the highest ever.

He further said that daily milk procurement in the state had increased from one lakh litres to nearly three lakh litres. Meanwhile, a modern milk processing plant was being established at Dhagwar in Kangra district at a cost of around Rs. 250 crore, with an initial processing capacity of 1.50 lakh litres per day. In addition, Rs. 150 crore would be spent over the coming years to strengthen milk collection and processing facilities in different districts.

He said that the positive results of the state government's decisions in the interest of milk producers were now becoming visible, with the financial condition of milk-producing families steadily improving. Sh. Pathania added that several farmers, including Milap Chand, had personally met him to thank the Chief Minister and share how the state government's initiatives were supporting them.

Deputy Chief Whip said that the state government's aim was to develop animal husbandry beyond a traditional occupation and establish it as a respectable and profitable source of livelihood. The government was continuously working to ensure fair prices for milk, timely payments, direct benefit transfers and access to modern milk processing facilities.

He said that the steps being taken by the state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu were strengthening Himachal Pradesh's dairy sector and creating sustainable sources of income for livestock farmers. These initiatives were not only making dairy farming more profitable and attractive but also encouraging more and more people, particularly the youth, to return to this traditional profession. This was strengthening the rural economy, creating new self-employment opportunities and giving animal husbandry greater recognition as a respectable and sustainable livelihood.