In an effort to provide fresh fodder to cattle, Aavin plans to cultivate fodder on 550 acres of meikkaal porambokku land spread across seven districts of the State. (Meikkaal porambokku are lands classified as cattle-grazing grounds.)
Aavin Managing Director C. Kamaraj told The Hindu that the land available with the Animal Husbandry Department would be utilised for this purpose.
Inspections under way
“We are working on the modalities of how the lands can be taken possession of and for how long. Aavin teams consisting of veterinarians, managers (fodder) and deputy general managers have begun inspecting the lands to ascertain suitability,” Mr. Kamaraj said.
Lands in Virudhunagar, Namakkal, Madurai, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Kancheepuram and Thoothukudi are to be utilised. A total of 14 lakh cattle heads provide milk for the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation, whose popular brand is Aavin.
Aavin’s own agricultural officers would be overseeing the cultivation. “Already, we cultivate fodder on around 100 acres. So far 1,000 tonnes of fresh fodder has been distributed to farmers,” he explained.
The milk major also supplies feed including special milk ration (SMR), pellet and mash varieties to farmers, who sell milk to its 12,105 cooperative societies.
Meanwhile, to safeguard animals from the heat this summer, Aavin has also asked milk producers to ensure the cattle are tied in the shade and provided enough clean water.
Fiat to cattle owners
“We have asked local society officials to specifically inform cattle owners that they should also ensure that the animals are let out to graze only in the mornings or late evenings and not during the day time,” Mr. Kamaraj said.