08 March,2011 06:53 AM IST | | Sanjeev Devasia
Beleaguered department plans to launch new sugar-free health drink to boost revenue
The beleaguered government dairy department seems to have chosen the health route to get to a healthy balance sheet.
The department is planning to add a health drink to its bouquet of existing products like Energee, lassi and masala milk to target the health-conscious and diabetics.
Though sugar-free, the new drink will be available in different flavours and will be reinforced with proteins.
"We are hoping to launch the new milk-based health drink within a month.
This will be in addition to the flavoured drink which we sell currently," said Dairy Development and Animal Husbandry Minister Madhukarrao Chavan.
Out of the red
While Energee, which is so popular that dairies can't meet the demand, has a sugar content of 5.5 percent and fat content of 3.3 per cent, the new drink will be sugar and fat free.
The department hopes that the new drink, along with a planned increase in milk collection, will help it get a revenue boost.
The department collects only 1.5 lakh litres of milk every day currently compared to 3.5 lakh litres five years back and 8 lakh litres 8 years back.
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The financial condition of the dairy has also deteriorated steadily with the decrease in milk collection.
"We have taken several measures to increase milk collection, including increasing the price of procuring milk to Rs 16 per litre for cow milk and Rs 28 for buffalo milk. Other measures are also in the works," Chavan added.
20,000
Number of bottles of Energee sold every day
