Patna: The Bihar State Milk Co-operative Federation Limited (COMFED) has set out ambitious expansion plans that it says could raise the incomes of millions of livestock farmers in the state, while taking its flagship Sudha brand to international markets including the United States and the Gulf.
The state-run cooperative, which operates under Bihar’s dairy, fisheries and animal resources department, claims that farmers currently earn about Rs 3,000 crore (£285m) annually through its procurement network. COMFED collects around 3 million litres of milk every day from across the state, processing and selling it under the Sudha label.
According to official figures, the cooperative provides direct employment to about 14,000 people and indirect employment to roughly 700,000 milk suppliers. COMFED has said it aims to expand this supplier base to 2.1 million people over the next five years, while increasing its direct workforce to 24,000.
The organisation’s annual turnover stands at Rs 6,226 crore, with a target of reaching Rs 10,000 crore in the coming years. Sudha products are currently sold not only across Bihar but also in neighbouring and major markets such as Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and West Bengal.
In a move aimed at professionalising operations, 19 students from IIM Bodh Gaya have joined COMFED for the first time, a step officials say will help strengthen management and accelerate growth.
Sudha’s product range includes milk, ghee, paneer, curd, milk powder, ice cream and a variety of traditional sweets such as gulab jamun, rasgulla, peda, balushahi and rabri, alongside drinks like lassi. The cooperative has recently added new lines, including cow ghee, bakery products, Tetra Pak milkshakes, buttermilk, juices and premium sweets and snacks.
COMFED is now preparing to expand into international markets, with plans to sell Sudha products in the US, Dubai, Vietnam and South Africa. The first steps were taken last year, when consignments of ghee and gulab jamun were sent to the United States and Canada, signalling what the cooperative sees as the beginning of its global push.
