Development activities estimated to cost Rs.11 crore will be implemented in the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam dairies of Milma this year, Milma chairman Kallada Ramesh said at a press conference here on Monday.
Mr. Ramesh said the project would be implemented with financial assistance from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). “We are also planning to produce value-added products and packing materials at Kandala, Pathanamthitta and Mannar where we have chilling plants,” he said.
He said that the 24th annual general meeting of the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd (Milma) will be held on June 9.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran will inaugurate the meeting and hand over the Nanniyode Rajan Memorial Award to Milma founder chairman Prayar Gopalakrishnan at the function. The Koyivila Vijayan Award for best dairy society (sanghom) under the union, the Bhaskaran Nair Award for the best dairy farmer and awards for societies that procured best quality milk will also be distributed at the function.
The meeting will discuss and pass the union budget for the year 2010-11. ``Milma has registered a turnover of Rs.400 crore and a profit of Rs.1 crore as opposed to Rs.18 lakh profit registered last year,” Mr. Ramesh said.
He said Milma would launch a slew of new projects this year, including accident and medical insurance schemes for dairy farmers. While the union will bear the entire cost of Rs.2 lakh accident insurance scheme for dairy farmers, the union will bear 50 per cent of the premium amount of the medical insurance scheme under which farmers can claim up to Rs.50,000 for medical treatment. Around 25,000 calves will be distributed to dairy farmers under the calf rearing scheme launched by Milma as part of increasing the internal procurement of milk.
