A milk-powder plant will soon be set up in Malappuram to process the extra milk being produced in the State, K. Raju, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, has said. He added that Kerala had already attained self-sufficiency in milk production.
Work on the plant would start in this financial year. It will be run by Malabar Regional Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union (MRCMPU) with technical assistance from the National Dairy Development Board. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development will extend financial support, the Minister said after inaugurating the State-level birth centenary celebrations of Varghese Kurien, known as the ‘Milkman of India’, on Thursday.
The year-long programmes are being led by the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma).
Milma chairman P.A. Balan presided over the ceremony at the headquarters of MRCMPU in Kozhikode, the birthplace of Kurien. Milma brought out a special milk cover that carries the centenary logo of Kurien and a special postal cove. His daughter, Nirmala Kurien, unveiled a statue of her father and delivered a commemorative lecture. Milma is launching a nation-wide campaign seeking Bharat Ratna for Kurien. One lakh dairy farmers would send signed post cards with a request to the Prime Minister. Also, a top Milma delegation would meet members of both the Houses of Parliament to press the demand, Mr. Balan said.
