Tripura Govt plans to expand the dairy sector through NDDB partnership, increase milk production, strengthen cooperative networks, operationalise the Bamutia dairy plant, and improve financial and technical support for dairy farmers across the state.
The Tripura Government is planning a coordinated expansion of the state’s dairy sector through stronger institutional cooperation, increased milk production and improved support for dairy farmers. Animal Resources Development (ARD) Minister Sudhangshu Das discussed the roadmap during the 13th Board Meeting of the Tripura Gomati Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited held at a private hotel in Agartala on Wednesday.
The meeting focused particularly on the implementation of the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Animal Resources Development Department, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Gomati Cooperative Milk Union. The agreement is aimed at strengthening cooperative dairy development, improving productivity and making better use of dairy infrastructure in Tripura. NDDB has also outlined support for cooperative expansion, productivity enhancement, infrastructure utilisation and market development under the broader dairy development programme.
Minister Sudhangshu Das said the state’s milk production remains below consumer demand and stressed the need to increase production while strengthening processing and distribution systems. He said NDDB’s technical expertise and experience would be utilised to improve milk production, processing, marketing and distribution in Tripura.
According to the minister, the discussions were intended to identify practical measures for making the state’s dairy cooperative sector more dynamic and productive. The focus also remained on ensuring that consumers receive milk and dairy products at reasonable prices while creating better economic opportunities for dairy farmers.
Gomati Cooperative Milk Union Chairman Ratan Ghosh said the meeting was the first joint board meeting involving NDDB following the signing of the tripartite MoU. The Union has set an ambitious target of increasing the number of dairy farmers associated with it from the existing 6,642 to 10,000.
The expansion plan also includes the establishment of 52 new milk-producing cooperative societies, which is expected to widen the cooperative network and bring more dairy farmers into organised milk production. The Union also plans to integrate the recently acquired Tridha Dairy at Kamalpur into its operations.
Another major component of the expansion is the operationalisation of the new dairy plant at Bamutia, identified as Unit 2, with a processing capacity of 40,000 litres. The facility adds to the expansion of Gomati Dairy, which began operations in 1982 with an initial capacity of 5,000 litres and has since expanded significantly. The Bamutia facility was inaugurated in May 2025 and was developed to strengthen Tripura’s milk-processing infrastructure.
The Union is also seeking to improve the value chain for dairy products. Gomati Cooperative currently produces four varieties of milk, two varieties of paneer, ghee, ice cream, packaged drinking water and around 75 varieties of sweets. The board discussed marketing strategies aimed at improving the profitability of dairy operations and ensuring better returns for milk producers.
The meeting further considered the effective implementation of Central and State government schemes benefiting cattle rearers and dairy farmers. Financial and technical assistance at the grassroots level was also discussed as part of efforts to strengthen milk production and improve the socio-economic condition of farmers.
The latest discussions build on the state’s broader efforts to strengthen dairy infrastructure. Tripura has already commissioned the 40,000-litre-per-day Bamutia milk processing plant, while the government has also highlighted dairy development and farmer income enhancement as important areas of the Animal Resources Development sector.
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The meeting was attended by ARD Minister Sudhangshu Das, Gomati Cooperative Milk Union Chairman Ratan Ghosh, NDDB North-East Coordinator Sabyasachi Roy, the ARD Department Secretary, the Union’s Managing Director and Secretary, board members and other officials.
The board’s deliberations are expected to guide further implementation of the NDDB partnership, with the state focusing on higher milk output, wider cooperative participation, stronger processing capacity and improved economic opportunities for dairy farmers.
