Trivandrum: Bucking the grim pandemic-induced crisis in the last two years, Kerala’s cooperative dairy major Milma recorded a 25% increase in its turnover in 2021-22.
Significantly, the higher turnover has been achieved by Milma in the last two financial years without cutting down the procurement price of milk from farmers and without increasing the selling price. Also, a slew of special incentives and subsidies were passed on to nearly one million dairy farmers affiliated with the multi-tier cooperative network.
In 2021-22, Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), a household name in the state known by the brand Milma, increased its turnover (provisional) to Rs 4,300 crores from Rs 3,388 crores the previous year. In 2019-20, Milma’s turnover stood at Rs 3,210 crores.
The procurement of milk by Milma went up by 12.52 per cent to 15,19,737 litres per day in 2021-22 from 13,50,656 litres per day the previous year. The daily sale of milk also increased to 14,29,654 litres a day during the year from 13,09,868 per day the previous year.
These figures reflect that the disruptions in the collection and supply of milk in the initial phase of the pandemic, which saw lockdowns and logistical issues, have been quickly overcome by Milma. The timely intervention and support of the government also saved the cooperative dairy sector from plunging into a deeper crisis.
The value-addition process to utilize the surplus milk, especially from the Malabar region, gained pace during this period with the government clearing the proposal to set up a milk powder factory at Moorkanad in Malappuram, at a cost of Rs 53.93 crore. Of this, the state government has sanctioned Rs. 15 crores under the plan fund while Rs 32.72 crores will be available from the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund of NABARD. The Malabar Union has earmarked Rs 6.21 crore as its share in the project.
Milma has also expanded its market reach by forging tie-ups with institutions like KTDC, KSRTC, Supplyco, Kudumbashree, Devaswom Boards and various government departments.
Kerala Biz News