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Burgers,
pizzas displaced by milk products in Punjab
by
Sunil Sharma
Chandigarh:
Processed milk products are back in demand in
Punjab. Burgers, pizzas and sandwiches are no more
sought after. The Moudgil family of Chandigarh has
taken a fancy to milk processed products like cheese
and butter. They are among the many families in India
who have switched over to having a western breakfast,
bidding adieu to standard fare like Indian stuffed
`parathas'. "I don't have to make a burger now. Butter
is there, Cheese is there and curd. So, whenever I
want, it is readily available and the kids love it.
So, it makes things very easy," a member of Moudgil
family said. This societal transformation is good
news for the Punjab dairy industry. The industry is
now producing a wide range of milk products like butter,
flavoured milk, cheese and curd. A rise in the cheese
production indicates its growing demand each year.
"Take the example of cheese consumption in Punjab.
It was in 1998 that the production was increased through
Patiala Plant which indicates that people in Punjab
and in India have started consuming more cheese. In
1998, we were producing 5 to 10 tonnes of cheese a
month which is now 20 tonnes," said Karnail Singh,
General Manager of Verka Milk Plant, Patiala. At Milkfed
Plants, the growth of milk products has been increasing
by 10 to 50 per cent per annum.
The
annual turnover of Milkfed which was Rs.585 crores
in the year 2003-04 has hit the level of Rs.725 crores
in the year 2006-07. Thanks to the `White Revolution'
in the state. It is easy to meet the rising demands
of dairy products in the domestic and international
markets. Many corporates are also venturing into dairy
products manufacturing because of its profitability.
Milk Production is a very important part of the agricultural
economy in the State of Punjab. Dairy Farming is an
age-old subsidiary profession in the rural areas of
Punjab. Punjab is the second largest milk producing
state in India, producing around 10 per cent of the
country's milk production that is eight million tones
annually.
- August 24, 2007
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