Green Milk hits market

As part of the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat’s efforts to boost the animal husbandry sector, an array of projects, including the flagship programme Green Milk, were launched at the panchayat's jersey farm at Chettachal.

The district panchayat will undertake the distribution of the milk produced at the Chettachal and Vithura jersey farms under its own label of Green Milk. In the first phase of the project, 1,200 litres of milk will be distributed every day in half-litre packets costing ₹21. It would be raised to 2,000 litres in the second phase.

The milk will be distributed through the district panchayat’s outlets, to be set up in Chettachal, Palode, Nedumangad, Vithura and Pattom.

Until recently, the milk produced at these farms was sold to the Milma. The project is intended as a measure for the farms to attain self-sufficiency, according to district panchayat president V. K. Madhu.

Minister K. Raju inaugurated the Green Milk project on Tuesday. He also flagged off the construction of a goat rearing centre, vermicompost manufacture unit, quarantine shed, a shed for calves, and an office complex, along with the renovation of a pond at the farm.

On the occasion, the Minister said that efforts will be taken to make the dairy sector self-sufficient in two years. At present, the State produces 75% of the milk it needs. Other initiatives include a subsidy for fodder cultivation, with ₹20,000 offered as subsidy to those undertaking cultivation in one hectare of land in a year.