The Hindu : Front Page : Record procurement of milk in Karur

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 04, 2007
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Record procurement of milk in Karur

L. Renganathan

Rs.17.85-lakh proposal to establish a bulk milk cooler at Taragampatti Rs.17.85-lakh proposal to establish a bulk milk cooler at Taragampatti

ACHIEVEMENT: A dairy farmer milking a cow in a farm near Karur.

KARUR: Milk procurement by the Tiruchi District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union from the societies in Karur district touched an all-time high average of 78,100 litres a day this January.

The quantum of milk procured has doubled since 2003, when it was just 39,300 litres per day. There are 197 cooperative milk producers' societies in the district of which 23 are run by women, 16 are dormant and efforts are under way to revive them. The total membership in the societies is 36,953, including 13,380 women. There are 37,945 heads of cattle, including 16,052 buffaloes, with the members.

The average milk production at the society level is 81,870 litres a day of which 3,770 litres a day are consumed locally. Sources point out that there has been no `milk holiday' in the district in the past three years and, in fact, the Union needs over 10,000 litres a day more than the present procurement level. The growth has necessitated infrastructure development to convey the procured milk safely.

"It has been planned to establish a bulk milk cooler unit with a capacity of 5,000 litres per day at an outlay of Rs.17.85 lakh at the Taragampatti society. While Rs.10 lakh can be got through the Swarna Jayanthi Swarozgar Yojana Infrastructure Development Fund, the balance can be met by funds from Mahalir Thittam," says Collector T.N. Venkatesh.

The cooler will serve 450 members belonging to nine societies. Plans are under way to establish five more units next year, sources say. While the "keeping quality" of milk will go up and spoilage avoided, the transport cost will be reduced to some extent indirectly, it is felt.

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