Punjab unveils milk vending machine

One unit costs Rs600,000, says livestock and dairy development board official

LAHORE: Pakistan’s first automated dispenser unit is going to launch next month for the provision of pure and cheap milk, said Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board Chief Executive Officer Saira Iftikhar.

While talking to members of the Agriculture Journalists Association (AJA) on Tuesday, Saira said that this automated milk dispenser unit was manufactured in the country at a cost of Rs600,000. The idea behind introducing this machine is to encourage dairy farmers to sell milk through the vending machine.  The current distribution scenario in the country is raising several questions and demand interventions by the public sector to introduce new dairy businesses as pilot.

Elaborating details, Iftikhar said that around 2,000 litres of milk being produced from the Sahiwal cow breed at Khizerabad farm near Sargodha would be sold through the automated dispenser unit at one of Lahore’s markets in the Township area. It will be available at Rs75 per litre.

“Consumers can themselves see the milk being packaged after paying the amount,” she said, adding the milk comes from local-elite cow breed being reared at green pastures, while seasonal fodders along with corn silage and other healthy minerals without any impurity or harmful substance like aflatoxin are being fed to these animals.

“The milk is labeled the A2 type, which makes it more digestible, nourishing and healthier than other cows’ milk available in the market.” It contains 4% fats and 3.6% proteins and there are no additives included in this milk, she claimed.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2018.

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