Dairy & Co-operative Societies
Procurement, processing and marketing of milk began in 1977 with the establishment of Sikkim Livestock Developement(SLDC). In 1978 the newly merged Government of Sikkim formally requested the NDDB to extend Operation Flood program to the state of Sikkim also in order that the dairy farmers of the state also recieve benefits from World's largest rural developement programm, the Operation Flood. The NDDB sends its spearhead team for survey and submits reports to the State Government with recommendation that dairying as commercial enterprise on co- operative lines could start in the three districts onlu viz. East, West, and South. North Sikkim being sparsely populated and there being no substantial cattle population was left out of the scope. Sikkim Co- operative Milk Producers' Union (Sikkim Milk Union)forms in july 1980. All milk business of SLDC and the assets of Animal Husbandry Deptt. relating to milk business get transferred to Sikkim Milk Union. Two milk plants one at Gangtok (10,000 LPD) and another at Jorethang (5000LPD) were set up o turn key basis by the NDDB with the financial assistance from Indian Diary Corporation on 70:30 grant and loan basis. Jorethang Milk Plant becomes operational from July 1981. Gangtok Milk Plant becomes operational from November 1982. An IMCU of 4,000 LPD Capacity was installed at Gyalshing in 1990 to enable to procure milk of remote villages of Yuksom and Uttarey areas of West District.
