Sitajakhala: An Inspiring Success Story of Cooperative Society of Assam

GUWAHATI: An Inspiring Success Story of Cooperative Society of Assam. On a sleepy cold morning, a group of farmers from Amlighat village of Jagirod in central Assam’s Morigaon district decided to form a cooperative society to wipe out middlemen in the milk trade.

The milk producers’ cooperative society, titled Sitajkhala Dagdha Utpadak Samabai Samiti Limited, which was started in 1958 with just 17 farmers, now has over 1,000 members.

Nandlal Upadhyay, a farmer belonging to the Nepalese community, took the initiative to form the society to bring about a white revolution in Assam.
The society’s milk and other products, which have completed 75 years of existence, have found markets in Guwahati, Kamrup, Morigaon and Nagaon districts of Assam.

As of now, the society has two plants, one for milk and one for curd, besides 11 milk collection centres.

The total capacity of the plant at Sitajkhala was 18000 liters per day but now it is 12000 liters per day.
It collects milk from around 800+ farmers from 110 blocks.

Sitajhala is working with farmers to increase the milk production capacity of cows by providing them with improved breed of semen and sex-matched insemination facilities for artificial insemination to provide only female calves.

He also plans to establish silage (green fodder that is packed to preserve forage nutrition throughout the year).
The society provides free vaccination to cows registered under it.

Additionally, they are planning to provide financial support to farmers for maize cultivation and setting up of mineral mixture plants.

Harshi Kesh Acharya, an official of the society, said that they are contributing to the social cause by helping Sitajkhala Higher Secondary School by donating 0.15 paise per litre.