Bhopal, Dec 30 (NationPress) Chief Minister Mohan Yadav presided over a State-level Steering Committee on Tuesday, formed under the partnership between the Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Dairy Federation and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Bhopal.

During the meeting, Chief Minister Yadav emphasized the need to broaden the reach of the Sanchi brand through coordinated initiatives across the state.

Yadav highlighted that milk production plays a crucial role in boosting farmers' incomes, urging that efforts be made at the village level to enhance farmers' skills and capabilities in milk production.

He stated, "It is essential to implement stringent monitoring of the milk collection system. Procurement prices must be favorable for producers, transparency in the procurement process should be upheld, and dairy producers should receive timely payments as per the schedule."

The meeting revealed that since the NDDB took charge, the demand for the Sanchi milk brand has surged, with requests emerging from various regions to establish Sanchi dairies, according to the state government.

To digitize the complete dairy value chain statewide, software has been introduced in the milk unions of Bhopal, Gwalior, Ujjain, Bundelkhand, and Jabalpur. A mobile application has also been launched for milk collection via the Indore Milk Union, providing real-time updates on milk quantity, quality, and pricing.

"A 10-day payment schedule has been established to guarantee consistent and prompt payments for milk producers. Additionally, milk procurement prices from the unions have risen by Rs 2.5 to Rs 8.50 per liter. So far, 1,241 new milk cooperative societies have been established, and 635 previously inactive societies have been revitalized," the statement noted.

Moreover, it was shared that initiatives are underway to extend dairy cooperative coverage to 26,000 villages. The government has also initiated steps to reactivate the Shivpuri dairy plant, which has been dormant for the last two years.