The Ernakulam Region Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (ERCMPU), comprising also the districts of Kottayam, Idukki and Thrissur, has overcome the flood devastation to achieve milk production of 3.35 lakh litres to 3.40 lakh litres per day, setting a record for the region.

“It is a record. Even during the last summer season, we had achieved production of less than 3.30 lakh litres of milk per day,” said ERCMPU chairman P.A. Balan on Saturday.

He attributed the achievement to increasing activities in the dairy sector, both by individual farmers as well as small and medium-sized dairy farms.

Incentives being provided by the milk union after the floods too had helped the farmers increase production, he said.

Self-sufficiency

Increased production means that the Ernakulam region has achieved self-sufficiency in milk production as of now. The daily demand now ranges between 3.35 lakh litres and 3.40 lakh litres per day. Ernakulam used to depend on excess milk produced in the Malabar region as well as imports from neighbouring States such as Karnataka.

Sethu, a dairy farmer in Kadungalloor, said he had lost more than a dozen milch animals during the floods, but overcame the crisis. The losses have been substantial, but after the floods he has been able to concentrate more on increasing productivity and better care of the animals.

There are around 1,000 basic milk cooperative societies affiliated to the ERCMPU of which around 770 are fully active.

The milk union has been providing ₹1 extra in incentive per litre of milk to the farmers in the post-flood months. Besides, the societies are given an incentive of ₹0.50 per litre. The milk union has been incurring an extra expenditure of around ₹6.8 lakh on account of the incentives.

According to estimates, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kottayam districts lost around 1,200 milch animals during the floods. Death of animals as well as diseases that spread after the floods brought down milk production to a level of less than 3 lakh litres per day.

Milk procurement in the region during the Onam season was down by about 1 lakh litres a day compared with the days immediately preceding the mid-August floods.

But, there have been several measures, including provision for free fodder and animal feed distribution, door-to-door free animal health clinics as well as cash compensation for dead animals and calves and incentives to build new cowsheds.