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Thiruvananthapuram, October 11 (IANS) Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister J. Kerala is poised to become India’s largest milk producer through a series of targeted interventions to increase production and strengthen the cooperative dairy ecosystem, Chinchurani said here on Saturday.
Speaking at a state-level seminar jointly organized by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), popularly known as Brand Milma, the minister said Kerala currently ranks second after Punjab in milk production.
“The state is facing constraints such as land shortage, which is affecting fodder and fodder cultivation, but new projects are being launched to address these issues,” he said.
The seminar, themed “Prosperity through Cooperation”, was organized in connection with the International Year of Co-operation declared by the United Nations and the diamond jubilee of NDDB.
The Minister highlighted initiatives including expansion of land for growing fodder grass and the statewide rollout of the digital livestock and e-health management system, e-Samrudh, which was successfully piloted in Pathanamthitta.
He stressed on reducing production costs, improving productivity and leveraging technology to achieve self-reliance and sustainable development in the dairy sector.
Cooperation Minister VN Vasavan underlined the social impact of the cooperative dairy initiative and how MILMA has transformed rural livelihoods.
NDDB Chairman Meenesh C. Shah said India is “ready for White Revolution 2.0”, which aims to strengthen dairy cooperatives and bring more farmers into the network.
He outlined NDDB’s plan to increase milk procurement to more than 10 crore liters per day within four to five years.
“More than eight crore dairy farmers have played a vital role in making India the world’s largest milk producer,” he said, urging stakeholders to address challenges such as adulteration and low share of organized milk marketing, which currently stands at 32-35 per cent.
MILMA President KS Mani presented the federation’s roadmap to increase its turnover from Rs 4,327.24 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 10,052 crore by 2030, targeting a 15 per cent annual growth rate.
Plans include expanding the product footprint to airports, ports and cruise ships and installing vending machines at 25 Kochi Metro stations through the Ernakulam Regional Cooperative Milk Producers Union.
–IANS
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