Churpi traceability initiative launched in Sikkim with a dairy microbiology laboratory

3 November 2026

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh opened a microbiology laboratory of the Sikkim Milk Union at Gangtok and launched a traceability initiative for Churpi, the traditional hard cheese of the eastern Himalaya. The laboratory has come up under the National Programme for Dairy Development to strengthen microbiological testing, quality assurance and food safety, and a second laboratory at Karfectar was opened at the same event by video link. Products under a Fodder Plus line, made by farmer producer organisations, were also released, and registration certificates were handed to five new dairy cooperative societies. Milk production in Sikkim has risen by 79 per cent, from 1.37 lakh litres a day to 2.45 lakh litres, while the number of dairy cooperative societies has grown from 389 in 2014-15 to 733 in 2025-26 and daily supply to consumers has doubled to 56,000 litres. The Minister said the Centre will sanction funds for a Centre of Excellence for the indigenous Siri cattle of the region, including work on advanced breeding, once the state sends a formal proposal. He also said the National Dairy Development Board will finance and modernise the dairy plant at Mangan.