Uncertain “expiration” of Darkata milk center

Situated in the Dehra sub-division of Kangra district on the major highway going to Chandigarh, the milk procurement center at Darkata has been closed for more than eight years.

This center, which was once humming with activity, is now abandoned and surrounded by bushes.

The facility strengthened the financial demands of the farmers living in the surrounding communities around ten years ago.

Speaking with The Tribune, locals noted that the center was very well-liked by the area’s dairy farmers.

It greatly boosted the milk producers’ revenue and gave them an incentive to raise buffaloes and cows.

The price of a liter of cow’s milk now costs Rs 38, while a litre of buffalo milk now costs Rs 55, according to a recent increase by the government. The people are now excitedly awaiting the rebirth of the once-booming center due to the recent rise in milk prices.

Under the condition of anonymity, the locals said that pricey equipment remained inside the long-closed structure.

The locals say that because no one has bothered to reopen it, the machinery must have corroded and been destroyed by now.

According to the inhabitants, the center was operating well and provided significant assistance to the agricultural community in the neighboring villages. They still don’t know why it was shut off.

“There used to be a lot of hustle and bustle in the early hours, with milk producers bringing their milk and handing it over to the state-run federation entrusted with its procurement and processing,” said a villager recalling the days when the center was operational.

Farmers in the area, particularly those who raise cattle, are disappointed that despite the recent talk of bolstering these institutions, no one has taken the time to visit and restore the center.

The primary processing facility of the HP Milk Federation, located in Dagwar, close to Dharamsala, was supplied with milk by the milk procurement center.

Heading the center at Badwar and other catchment subcenters, Sachin expressed optimism about the Darkata plant reopening for business.

His own center, on the other hand, is only producing 5,000 liters per day, or one-fourth of its projected output, while having an impressive 20,000 liters per day installed capacity.