The Manipur government has signed an MoU with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Manipur Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Ltd. to boost milk production. The agreement transfers cooperative management to NDDB, aiming to address the state’s milk demand and improve dairy infrastructure.
The Manipur government has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Manipur Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Ltd. on February 2, 2025. The agreement aims to strengthen milk production in the state by handing over the cooperative’s management to NDDB, a key institution in India’s dairy sector development.
The signing event, attended by Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, represents a major move toward increasing milk availability. Manipur currently struggles with a supply-demand gap in milk production, making this initiative essential for nutritional security, particularly for athletes and lower-income groups. With a history of producing 19 Olympians and numerous accomplished athletes, the state regards milk as a vital supplement for sports training and overall nutrition.
Chief Minister Singh thanked the Manipur Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Ltd. for approving the management shift and encouraged NDDB to identify appropriate grazing lands in collaboration with local farmers to further promote dairy farming.
NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah underscored India’s dairy transformation through ‘Operation Flood,’ which established the country as the world’s top milk producer, with an annual output exceeding 239 million metric tons. He stressed the need to integrate rural communities into the broader economy and reaffirmed NDDB’s role as a developmental body rather than a commercial entity in Manipur’s dairy sector.
With strong state government backing, this collaboration is expected to modernize dairy infrastructure, boost milk production, and contribute to Manipur’s economic progress.
