NCDFI, Assam Rifles Dairy Pact Boosts NE Farmers

New Delhi, Jun 2 (PTI) National Cooperative Dairy Federation (NCDFI) and Assam Rifles signed an agreement on Tuesday to expand the supply of milk and dairy products to military units across the northeast region, in a deal expected to generate about Rs 44 crore annually for participating cooperatives.

The memorandum, signed in New Delhi, extends an existing arrangement under which cooperatives, including Amul, Nandini and Warana, have been supplying products ranging from UHT milk to whole milk powder to Assam Rifles units.

Under the expanded pact, fresh milk and butter will now reach 72 military establishments across seven northeastern states, while Amul will additionally supply cheese and malt-based food, NCDFI said in a statement.

NCDFI Chairman Meenesh Shah said the federation had supplied dairy products to the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for four decades, and the new partnership deepened that relationship.


"Such initiatives reflect the capability of dairy cooperatives to efficiently serve the requirements of defence and paramilitary forces," he said in a statement.

Director General of Assam Rifles Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera said timely access to quality dairy products mattered for the welfare of personnel deployed across remote locations.

He added that the paramilitary force, widely known as the "Friends of the North Eastern People," also saw the initiative as a way to support dairy farmers through regional cooperatives.

Many parts of the northeast have historically relied on UHT milk and milk powder due to limited local production.

The new supply chain is expected to improve access to fresh milk in border areas while drawing more farmers into the organised cooperative network, strengthening rural livelihoods and local employment, NCDFI added.