Visakha Dairy to set up Rs 3cr ice-cream unit

Visakha Cooperative Dairy (VCD), the largest cooperative dairy in the state, is planning to invest about Rs 7 crore in the next two years to set up an ice-cream plant and a modern cattle feed mixing plant.

"We plan to add a couple of new products in future. In that process, we have decided to set up an ice-cream plant at an investment of Rs 3 crore in the next two years. The ice-cream plant would have an installed capacity of 1,000 litres per day. Apart from this, we plan to set up a 500-tonne per day capacity modern feed mixing pelletisation plant at an investment of Rs 4 crore," A Tulasi Rao, chairman of VCD, told mediapersons here on Thursday.

"Of the dairy's total turnover of Rs 229 crore in 2004-05, milk products accounted for about 20 per cent. This fiscal, we expect to achieve a turnover of Rs 250 crore, and a 25 per cent growth (Rs 60 crore) in milk products sales. To increase our milk products sales further, we are also adding new products," he said.

Visakha Dairy currently markets 19 products (other than milk) including ghee, curd, flavoured milk, buttermilk, paneer, milk cake, rose milk, milk powder and butter.