Paneer, curd, and cream sales in Guwahati and adjoining areas increased substantially this Magh Bihu as people from all walks of life took part in the festivities. Assam’s largest dairy cooperative, Purabi Dairy, which enjoys over 40 per cent market share in the city, witnessed average sales of over 1 lakh litres of milk and milk equivalent products in the four days around Magh Bihu.

"Purabi", the brand operated by West Assam Milk Producers’ Cooperative Union Ltd. (WAMUL), registered sales of over 85,000 litres of milk per day during this bihu season. In terms of product sales, it saw 35% growth in paneer sales, 9% growth in cream volume, and 23MT of curd products sold during the three days of the festival, representing an 18% increase over the same period last year.

ALSO READ | World Milk Day: Purabi Dairy Reaffirms Its Commitment Towards Sustainable Dairying Practices

The new Purabi Ghee also registered brisk sales as it grew by over 4 times. Authorities at Purabi Dairy expressed their satisfaction that they could meet the consumers' demand to a great extent this year.

"This Magh Bihu as well, we were able to achieve a remarkable increase in sales figures. Our average sale of milk and milk equivalent in our products went past 1.25 lakh litres per day. This continued love from our customers helps us provide an enhanced revenue opportunity to the dairy farmers, "said the WAMUL spokesperson.

The spokesperson further said that the foundation stone laying for the expansion of Purabi dairy plant by Assam CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Cabinet Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, GOI, Parshottam Rupala and Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Cooperation, Atul Bora on January 7, 2022, would further boost the sales to achieve exponential growth in the coming years.

The milk union has been at the forefront of enabling farmers in the state to be "Aatmanirbhar’ through dairying, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During FY 2020–21, the milk union attained a sales turnover of Rs 120 crores, which is around 15 per cent higher than the one achieved during the previous financial year. WAMUL looks forward to crossing the sales turnover figure of Rs. 150 crores in the current financial year.

This has helped WAMUL to plough back a significant amount generated out of its business operations during the year in the form of an additional milk procurement price paid to its eligible dairy farmers. It may be recalled that on October 6, 2021, Purabi Dairy declared an additional milk price amount of around Rs 1.42 crore to over 8,000 eligible dairy farmers who poured milk into it during the financial year 2020–21, and the best farmers and AI workers were awarded by the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Corporation, Atul Bora, in a function held at Srimanta Shankardeva Kalashetra, Panjabari, Guwahati.