The Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (TRCMPU), one of the three regional units of Milma in the State, will establish five marketing hubs during the 2017-18 fiscal to strengthen its network and enhance sales.
TRCMPU chairman Kallada Ramesh said the proposed facilities would be in addition to the first such hub that had commenced functioning at Kandala in Thiruvananthapuram and another one that would soon be operationalised at Mannar in Alappuzha.
Among the ongoing activities of the union, a project to the tune of ₹1 crore was under way to enhance the capabilities of the Pathanamthitta dairy with the goal of stepping up the production of ghee, thereby enabling its export, and that of Milma Lassi that had found much acceptance, Mr. Ramesh said.
₹816-cr turnover
He said the union registered a turnover of ₹816 crore during the last fiscal. An increase of 3% in milk sales was also witnessed. Milk sales stood at 4,86,654 litres a day.
In the current fiscal, a 10% increase in sales had been targeted. The TRCMPU registered the highest growth (35.75%) in milk production during the past fiscal.
Currently, 865 milk producers’ cooperative societies, which has around 3 lakh dairy farmers as members, were under the union.
₹40 crore to farmers
Around ₹40 crore was disbursed among the dairy farmers of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha, under various welfare schemes during the last fiscal, Mr. Ramesh said.
He said efforts were on to achieve complete mechanisation in the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam dairies.
Machinery to the tune of ₹2 crore would be established at the Kollam and Pathanamthitta dairies to store frozen items, including ice-cream.
Impractical curbs
Replying to a query, Mr. Ramesh said that dairy farmers in the State were yet to be affected by the implementation of the restrictions imposed by the Centre for cattle sales.
“We are hopeful of an immediate intervention by the State government on the issue. The notification of the Central government contained guidelines that were impractical,” he said.
He added that an increase of ₹25 had been effected for every litre of milk sold by Milma in the past 10 years. A major share of the increase — ₹21.71 — 86.84% — went to the farmers.
