India: Amul to expand operations

Indian dairy giant Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union, owner of dairy brand Amul has announced the opening of a new processing plant in West Bengal and expansion of operations to Bihar and Assam.

According to India Retailing, the new plant in West Bangal represents an investment of 250 crore ($38.8 million).

"We are expanding milk procurement operations in districts like Malda, Darjeeling, Howrah and East Midnapore in Bengal. This apart, we are foraying into milk procurement in Bihar and both procurement and processing in Assam", said officer on special duty, Amul Dairy Kolkata, R. Chattopadhyay.

Dipak Chakrabarty, officer on special duty in the north-east region, said that a processing plant with a capacity of one lakh litres (100,000l) per day (LLPD) is under construction in Guwahati.

“Milk collection will be 15,000 to 20,000 litres per day. We are targeting for first 90 days an initial output of 50,000 litres per day. Our target is one lakh litres per day”, Chakrabarty said.

The processing plant in Bengal is expected to be completed by 2018, where products such as milk, fermented products, ice cream, UHT milk, butter and ghee will be produced.

Amul started operations in Bengal in 2004 and currently the company produces 800,000 litres per day.

Source: India Retailing