Going by early indications, the government anticipates a drop in domestic milk production as the drought situation in the State is set to worsen.
Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development K. Raju told reporters here on Wednesday that the downward trend in milk production in the Ernakulam and Malabar regions in January indicated the impact of the drought.
While the total milk procured through societies showed an increase of 9.78% in November 2016 and 8% in December 2016, compared to the previous year, the milk production in January this year has registered a decrease owing to the drought situation and the difficulty in procuring fodder and hay.
The Thiruvananthapuram region, however, has maintained an increase up to January 20. The Minister said a prolonged drought situation could bring down the milk production, posing a setback to the State’s efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in dairy sector.
The government, he said, was not averse to an increase in the price of milk by Milma if it benefited dairy farmers.
Preventing distress sale
Answering questions, he said the government had finalised a drought relief scheme to help dairy farmers provide food and water for livestock in drought-hit areas and prevent the distress sale of cattle.
The financial assistance for dairy farmers would be distributed from February 1. The assistance for big animals had been fixed at ₹70 a day and that for small animals, ₹35. The amount would be provided by District Collectors from the Disaster Relief Fund. It would be used to supply fodder, cattle feed, and water for livestock.
The Minister announced the recipients of media awards instituted by the Dairy Development Department for 2016. The award for the best newspaper report has gone to R. Ramabhadran Pillai, Senior Assistant Editor, The Hindu , Alappuzha, for his report titled ‘All out for milk price hike’ published on March 7, 2016.
Mr. Raju said a State-level meet of dairy farmers would be held at Pattambi from January 28 to 30. The event includes a farmers’ parliament, exhibition of cattle, and a meeting of entrepreneurs in the dairy sector.
