Panaji, June 5 (IANS): Raising doubts over the quality of milk procured by Goa Dairy for supply and also those marketed by non-Goan brands, Cooperation Minister Subhash Shirodkar said on Saturday that such milk is not always pure or worth consuming.

"The quality of milk supplied in Goa by a few brands (non-Goan brands) is not good," Shirodkar told IANS, adding that the Directorate of Food & Drugs Administration and the Weights and Measures department keep a check on them.

He said that around 1 to 1.5 lakh litre milk is supplied by other brands in the state, while Goa produces around 50,000 to 60,000 litre milk per day.

Responding to a question if milk procured by Goa Dairy also lacks quality, Shirodkar said that even that possibility can't be ruled out.

"We can't immediately stop the procurement of milk, as we don't have an alternative. In the long run, we will have to increase our local production," he said.

Sources said the Goa State Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, known as Goa Dairy, procures about 20,000 to 25,000 litre milk daily from the neighbouring states.

According to experts, Goa has a daily demand of demand of 3 lakh litre milk. Apart from Goa Dairy, there are around 19 non-Goan milk brands that cater to the state's need.