The Ksheera Mela-2016, a district-level dairy farmers’ meet, organised jointly by the Dairy Development Department, Milma, and milk cooperative societies in the district will be held at Panamaram in the district on Thursday and Friday.
Minister for Dairy Development K.C. Joseph will formally inaugurate the programme at 10.30 a.m. on Friday. Youth Affairs Minister P.K. Jayalakshmi will presided over the function. Mr. Joseph will also open the newly sanctioned office of the Dairy Development Department in Panamaram block panchayat on the occasion.
Various programmes, including a cattle show and a seminar on ‘Rearing cow — a practical approach,’ would be held in connection with the meet, Jose Immanuel, Deputy Director, Dairy Development Department, said.The district stood second in milk production by producing 2.12 lakh litres of milk a day. Close to 23,000 farmers in the district are depending on the diary sector for their livelihood and all the 55 primary milk cooperative societies functioning in the sector have been linked with computer network.
As many as 36 coolers were installed in selected milk societies and nine more such coolers would be installed during the current fiscal under the RKVY project, Mr. Immanuel said.
Selected framers would be honoured on the occasion, he added.The department had selected M.K. George at Edavaka who had produced 1,46,056 litres of cow milk during 2014-15 as the best dairy farmer in the district. Lilly Mathew of Ayyanikkattu, Mananthavady, who had produced 93,652 litres of milk, and V.C. Sankaran of Vettuvadi at Moolamkavu,, 12,255 litres, are the best female farmer and tribal dairy farmer respectively.
