Milk development secretary JP Sharma told UNI here the state was now producing 140 lakh tonnes milk annually, accounting for 18 per cent of total milk production in the country.

With the increase in milk production following adoption of several measures, including financial and technical back-up to milk unions, the per capita availability of milk has also gone up from 192 grams to 220 grams per day.

According to Sharma, a total of 15,759 milk cooperative societies had been formed till March this year, leading to the procurement of 8.39 lakh litres of milk per day.

A record was set by procuring 13.50 lakh litres of milk, the highest ever, on any single day in 1998-99, he disclosed.

The sale of milk went up to 5.25 lakh litres per day, which was 17 per cent higher than that of the same in the preceding year, he said. Besides, 2453.38 tonnes ghee,1849.61 tonnes butter and 2853.41 tonnes skimmed milk powder of excellent quality were also produced in the last financial year, Sharma said.

With a view to checking the exodus of the people from villages to cities, an intensive mini dairy project was launched in all the 83 districts of the state, Sharma said.

Under this project, till March, a loan of Rs 64.85 crore was given to 26,268 persons, who purchased 43,671 milch animals of developed breed, which, in turn, provided self-employment opportunities to 36,355 people at their door-step.

To maximise the participation of women in the dairy sector, a mahila dairy project was implemented in 72 districts of the state, under this project, 1935 women milk cooperative societies with 67,535 members, had so far been organised, Sharma said.

The secretary dairy development said keeping in view the harmful effects of synthetic milk, quality control managers of all the milk unions had been trained and asked to maintain a strict vigil in thisconnection.

Besides, the infrastructure made available through a World Bank financed project `UP Dasp' was being regularly utilised to impart special training to secretaries of milk societies about `hygienic milk production.'

The officials of the dairy development departments had already started checking of adulterated milk in 30 districts, with the help of special kits made available to them by the research and development department of the Pradeshik Cooperative Dairy Federation (PCDF). Such kits would soon be distributed in the remaining districts of the state, Sharma said.

In addition to 22 dairies and 39 chilling centres, which were functioning in the state, cattle feed production units with a capacity of 100 tonnes per day had been opened in Varanasi, Meerut and Udham Singh Nagar, he said.

As a result of increased commercial activity and strict financial control, 17 milk unions had earned a profit of Rs 1.72 crores in the year 1998-99, Sharma said.