Bhubaneswar, May 4 (IANS) Odisha plans to go in for online marketing of milk and milk products prepared by the Orissa State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (OMFED), an official said on Monday.
The government has advised the state agency OMFED to introduce online ordering of milk and milk products for delivery at the doorsteps of consumers in the state.
The decision to go for online marketing came after OMFED failed to dispose off the surplus milk procured by it from farmers across the state, the official said.
State chief secretary G.C. Pati has advised the agency to develop a market strategy for quick disposal of surplus milk by expanding the area of marketing to the district headquarters and adopting a flexible approach in selection of retail outlets.
“While OMFED was procuring an average of 4.44 lakh litres of milk per day in 2014-15, milk production has reached a peak of 5.20 lakh litres per day in the current year.
“It has caused a glut situation in all the dairies and OMFED is facing constraints in disposal of surplus milk of around 30,000 litres daily,” according to the minutes of a meeting of the state micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) department.
Besides, milk procurement may increase to six lakh litres in the coming months, it said.
The department said ‘doorstep marketing’ should be encouraged through various media, highlighting the purity and quality of OMFED milk and milk products.
The government has also planned some long-term measures, including setting up of a five lakh litres per day (LPD) dairy plant in Cuttack, upgradation of capacity of the Bhubaneswar dairy plant from 1.75 lakh LPD to 2.75 lakh LPD, fat handling units at five dairy plants and establishment of a milk powder plant in Bolangir district.