| Sanction Date: | 18.11.2025 | |||
| Project Category | Category I | |||
| Year | 2025-2026 | |||
| Project Duration | 3 Years | |||
| BTA : | LOEG | |||
| Project Site/ State/ Districts/ Villages Covered: |
Lachung/Lachen, kupup and Nanthang Sikkim |
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| Organization/ Implementation Agency: | Department of Processing & Food Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering & Post Harvest Technology (Central Agricultural University-Imphal) Ranipool, Gangtok, Sikkim | |||
| Project Partners: | S.No. | Name | ||
| 1. | Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services Department, Govt of Sikkim, NGO’s, SHG’s, other State government agencies, KVK etc. | |||
| Lead Proponent: | Dr. Rakesh Kumar Raigar |
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| Project Brief Description: | The Yaks are considered as an important domesticated animal in the Eastern HimalayanWhere no other dairy animal can survive in such a cold environment (Holand et al., 2002). Traditionally, Yak milk is used for the preparation of butter, churpi, fella, ghee etc. The milk can be hygienically value added for the preparation of ghee, paneer, cheese, etc. These products will have higher market demand due to their acceptability among the locals as well the tourist visiting those places and will get a higher price in the market as yak is reared in an organic environment (Deori & Chakravarty, 2020). Yak cannot be milked using a normal milking machine due to its capacity, shape, and local environmental conditions. The milking machine was not developed for domestic animal’s yak. This developed machine boosts the economy of the poor Yak farmers and will help to improve their income from Yak farming. So, we propose to develop a suitable Yak milking machine by customizing its components and parameters. Another issue, the scarcity of concentrate feed to the yak is very high due to shortage of supply of ingredients, natural disaster, road blockage, availability of agricultural by-products etc. The area specific pallets feeds are not available in the market. Since there is currently no technology of feed palletisation formulation and preservation, the development of pallets feeds by using the locally available ingredients, churpi whey, grass and waste of food materials in feed pallets machine at yak farmer’s house for reduce the shortage of feed materials and sustainable feed supply. The machine and its performance will increase the income and productivity of the yak farmers. | |||
| Beneficiaries/ Stakeholders: | • Yak farmers of different locations of India |
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| Activity Chart (For 3 years) | ||||
| Total Grants (in Rs.) | Rs. 6,400,000/- (Rupees Sixty Four Lakh Only) | |||
| Project Objectives | Quantifiable Deliverables | Monitoring Indicators |
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• To design and develop an ergonomically suitable milking machine for domestic Yak in high-altitude regions of the IHR. • To optimize the operational parameters of the developed milking machine to ensure maximum efficiency. • To formulate and evaluate nutrient-dense feed pellets made from local agro-resources for Yak health and productivity. • To promote Yak herder technology adoption in the IHR through field demonstrations, training, and participatory involvement for sustainable livelihoods and Yak conservation. |
• Prototype ergonomically designed Yak milking machine suitable for high-altitude conditions. • Optimized operational parameters (vacuum level, pulsation rate, teat-cup design) for efficient and safe milking. • Formulated nutrient-dense feed pellets using locally available agro-resources, along with performance evaluation results. • Field demonstrations and participatory trials • Training modules, user manuals, and maintenance guides for milking machine operation and feed pellet production. |
• Prototype milking machine developed, tested, and refined (number of successful trials). • Milking efficiency metrics • Nutrient profile of feed pellets • No. of herders trained and participating in demonstrations. • Percentage (%) of herders adopting the milking machine and feed pellets • Percentage (%) change in herder income • No. of research papers, technical reports, and policy documents published |
| S.No. | No. of Sanctioned Post | Salary (Sanctioned) |
| 1. | 01 SRF | @ Rs.42,000/- + 10% HRA |
| 2. | 01 JRF | @ Rs.37,000/- + 10% HRA |
| 3. | Lab Assistant | @ Rs.15,000/- |
| 4. | Consultancy Service | upto @ Rs. 4.50 Lakh/ 3 years- |
| S.No. | Name of Equipment (Sanctioned) | Use of Equipment/ Details | Cost (in INR) |
| 1. | 1 High resolution camera @ Rs. 60,000/-, 1 Laptop i7 Core @Rs.1,00,000/-, 1 Portable Milk Analyzer @Rs.60,000/-, 1 LCD Thermal imager @Rs.60,000/- | 2,80,000 |
