PRAN eyes doubling milk collection by 2025

PRAN Dairy, a sister concern of PRAN Group, has planned to double its milk collection capacity by setting up five more dairy hubs in the country's south-western region within 2025.

Currently, the agro processing company has the capacity to collect 200,000 litres of milk everyday from its existing five dairy hubs during the peak season.

The company has so far setup a total of 101 milk collection and chilling centres, around 20 centres per hub, to collect milk from nearly 12,000 contract farmers having over 50,000 cows.

It produces ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed milk, pasteurised milk, powdered milk, butter, cheese, ghee, yogurt, matha, lassi, labang etc.

Talking to a visiting group of journalists at the PRAN Dairy Complex (PDC) at Shahjadpur upazila, Chief of Operation of PRAN Dairy Dr Md Rakibur Rahman said the company planned to establish five more dairy hubs in south-western part of the country due to increased demand for milk and other dairy products.

The daily milk collection capacity would then reach 400,000 litres, he added.

"During the peak season (June-July), PRAN collects about 200,000 litres of milk per day at an average price of Tk 42 per litre which slightly comes down to around 180,000 litres in rest of the year," he said.

Apart from collecting milk, the company has also been giving various technical supports to its contract farmers to encourage them for expanding dairy farming.

The PRAN dairy official said the farmers are provided with training to rear cattle in a scientific way while designating veterinary doctors for providing dietary advice to the farmers for increased milk production and give treatment to sick cows.

The company is also working on cattle breed development through artificial insemination of cows and provide vaccination to the farmers at minimal price to prevent diseases of the cows.

Apart from this, PRAN also links farmers with financial institutions to have low cost loans to expand their farms. The loan is arranged for purchasing cows and construction of cow shed.

The loan is deducted on weekly basis from milk price. As a result, the farmers do not feel extra pressure in repaying the loans, Mr. Rahman said.

According to the sector insiders, the demand for liquid milk in the country would be around 15 million metric tonnes per year - half of the demand is met from local production and the rest through importing huge amount of powdered and processed milk and other dairy products.

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