Dairy Debate , Kerala.
Debate on Milk production, Kerala.
Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan
1.Reason for milk shortage
· As demand increases supply will be reduced, which leads to shortage of commodities. Per capita consumption of milk has been increased substantially. So the domestic demand of milk is high during festive and marriage season.
· Increased cost of production makes dairy farmers to keep away from dairying. During the last three decade cost of milk has been increased by 50 percent, whereas cost of cattle feed has been increased by 200 percent. Almost 90 percent of the raw materials needed for the compounded cattle feed are coming from nearby state. So cost of cattle feed cannot be controlled up to certain limit. This makes the system unviable. Constraints in fodder cultivation coupled with increasing cost of straw further worsen the situation.
· Youths are not actively interested to start dairying as their major source of income.
· Milma is procuring only 11 percent of the milk produced in the state. Rest goes to the unorganized sector. Farmers are more interested to market the milk locally rather than supplying it to the milk co-operatives. The reason is simple-farmers are getting better profit margin if they supply milk locally.
· Some of the dairy farmers compelled to dispose their milch animal in order to work under National employment Guarantee scheme.
2.Immediate solution
· Productivity enhancement measures for the existing milch animals
· Introduction of low fat content milk
· Give more emphasis to scientific feeding and management programme
· Under venture capital fund mini dairy unit scheme should be extended to the entire districts of the state.
· Attract dairy farmers from unorganized to organized sector through better incentive package so that they will regularly supply milk to the nearest co-operatives
· Marginal price hike of milk taking in to consideration the increasing cost of production.
3.Long-term solution to solve the problem
· Financial assistance to start mini and commercial dairy units
· Popularization of venture capital fund scheme for dairying in the state
· Reduction in interest rate of dairy loan of up to 3 lakh Rupees.
· Introduction of pure exotic breeds of cattle in the hill track areas of the state
· Introduction of total mixed ration concept to increase milk production
· Market oriented production programme for milk
· Popularization of commercial dairy projects under public private partnership.
· Productivity enhancement measures
· Introduction of production incentives to the farmers in the form of cattle feed
· Measures to reduce cost of production
· Measures to strengthen self-employment venture in dairying.
· Conversion of milk to Tetra pack milk during surplus season, which is having more shelf life.
· Strict regulatory measures on milk and milk products order.
4.Whether price hike will solve the problem?
· It will temporarily solve the problem up to a certain extent. But it is not at all sustainable. This crisis will recur and milk price will haveto be increased further. As far as milma is concerned if 10 percent of the dairy farmers can be attracted towards organized sector this problem can be solved up to a certain extent.
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