In the wake of severe drought in 139 taluks, the government has directed all 14 milk unions in the State to provide extra incentive of ₹1 to ₹2 a litre of milk to producers, depending on their profit.
However, consumers will not be hit by this move, assured Minister for Animal Husbandry and Sericulture A. Manju on Tuesday.
The government had increased the incentive by ₹ 1 and was paying ₹5 for a litre of milk from this month. There are nearly nine lakh farmers who supply milk to various milk societies and unions in the State.
Milk production has been reduced from 72 lakh litres a day to 65 lakh owing to drought.
Mr. Manju, who held a daylong meeting with officials and union representatives, told presspersons that a decision to hike the incentive was taken in view of sever drought in the State.
The department had set up 30 cow sheds across the State, with each shed housing over 3,000 head of cattle. The fodder stock would be sufficient for the next 90 days, he said.
While there was demand for more cow sheds to be set up, fodder was being grown in around 800 hectares of government land across the State.
Trucks seized
Several trucks transporting fodder, both dry and green, have been seized in the border areas.
The government had banned inter-State transportation of fodder, he said, and added that a decision was taken to purchase fodder from farmers at ₹1,500 a tonne.
