Arunachal Pradesh has signed an agreement with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to supply locally produced packaged milk and dairy products to the force’s 31st Battalion, creating an assured institutional market for dairy cooperatives and milk producers in the state.
The memorandum of understanding was signed at the civil secretariat in Itanagar on Monday in the presence of state Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Dairy Development minister Gabriel D Wangsu and senior government and ITBP officials. A milk supply van was also flagged off at the event.
The products will be supplied under the Arun Dairy brand. The state government said the arrangement is intended to strengthen the dairy cooperative sector and provide a dependable market for local milk producers. The agreement connects local production with the regular procurement requirements of a large institutional consumer rather than leaving farmers dependent only on fragmented retail demand.
Wangsu said dairy development could help increase farmers’ incomes, generate rural employment and promote economic self-reliance. He also said institutional partnerships could give local producers access to assured markets, encourage dairy entrepreneurship and make dairy farming a more viable livelihood.
The partnership also places operational emphasis on the supply chain required to move packaged milk and dairy products from local producers to the ITBP battalion. The source report does not specify the volume of milk to be supplied, the contract period, pricing arrangements, the number of participating cooperatives or the locations from which the products will be sourced.
ITBP deputy inspector general for the North East Frontier, Abu Sufian, highlighted the importance of linking local dairy production with the force’s institutional requirements. The agreement therefore serves both a procurement function for the battalion and a market-access function for producers, although the available information does not establish how many farmers or cooperatives will benefit initially.
Chief minister Pema Khandu welcomed the initiative in a post on X, appreciating the Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Dairy Development department and the ITBP for joining hands to facilitate the supply of locally produced milk and dairy products. Deputy chief minister Chowna Mein also described the agreement as a positive step for the state’s dairy sector, saying it would support dairy farmers and encourage the growth of sustainable dairy cooperatives across Arunachal Pradesh.
The milk supply van flagged off during the signing marks the start of the reported supply arrangement. Further details on delivery schedules, procurement quantities and the expansion of the programme will determine the agreement’s practical reach beyond the 31st Battalion.
