KOCHI: After registering zero growth during the 2015-16 fiscal and even a slight negative growth during the ongoing fiscal, the Milma Ernakulam region is gearing up for a significant upswing in milk production in 2017-18.
The Ernakulam region covers the districts of Ernakulam, Kottayam, Idukki, and Thrissur.
The Milma Ernakulam region posted a growth of 16% in milk production in 2015-16 before it nosedived to almost zero the year after. The daily production on an average was 2.68 lakh litres during 2015-16, while it was 2.66 lakh litres as on March 20 in 2016-17.
The phenomenon was attributed to two factors: drought and stagnant price for over two years. The price was revised only in February 11, and ever since the production has gone up by around 6,000 to 7,000 litres. Though farmers were assured a price rise of ₹3.35 per litre, they are now paid ₹4.24, raising the price to over ₹35 per litre.
Over and above the price rise, Milma is paying a summer incentive of ₹2 per litre out of its profits to farmers and ₹1 to milk societies.
But the long-term impact of price rise will be felt only in the next fiscal. That, along with more summer showers and a normal monsoon, may restore growth, and the average daily milk production may witness a quantum jump in excess of 2.80 lakh litres during 2017-18, sources said.
Meanwhile, milk production in the Milma Ernakulam region dropped between 12,000 litres and 15,000 litres during this year’s lean summer season of February and March compared to the same period in the previous year, thanks to severe drought.
Sources pegged the average procurement during the month of March at 2.57 lakh litres a day compared to around 2.62 lakh litres the previous year. Of this, around 20,000 litres are diverted to production dairies to be converted into value-added products like ice cream, peda, and ghee.
Milma’s decision to set up 134 bulk coolers strategically in centrally located societies in major villages across the dour districts has paid rich dividends in terms of milk quality. These bulk coolers, with a capacity to cool 2,000 litres to 3,000 litres, have ensured that milk from societies reached them within an hour after milking. In the past, it took hours for the milk from societies to reach dairies, which took a toll on quality owing to bacterial multiplication.
At the bulk coolers, milk is chilled at as low a temperature as 4 degrees centigrade before being moved to dairies in insulated tanker lorries, where it is pasteurised, packed, and finally distributed to Milma’s agencies.
