Minister for Excise and Local Self-Governments (LSG) M.B. Rajesh has urged the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma) to shift to reusable covers.
“Plastics that cannot be reused or recycled are the biggest challenge in environment conservation,” said Mr. Rajesh. “Milma can be a model. The responsibility of plastic waste is not with the consumer alone; it is with the manufacturer as well.”
Mr. Rajesh was addressing a function in which Milma grants to cooperative dairy societies and employees were distributed here on Saturday.
The Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO) has decided to collect and recycle the plastic liquor bottles it sells. Milma could cooperate with bodies like BEVCO and thus reduce the cost of recycling, said the Minister.
He said that local bodies in the State were making solid interventions for the development of dairy sector. The Minister urged Milma to convert its milk products into value-added products so that dairy farmers would get better benefits.
Milma chairman K.S. Mani presided over the function. N. Prabhakaran, MLA, gave away the insurance aids to dairy farmers. Marutharoad grama panchayat president P. Unnikrishnan distributed the relief aids to the farmers.
Mr. Mani said that in 2024, ₹16 crore was distributed to dairy farmers in addition to the milk price. Milma Malabar zonal union directors K. Chenthamara, V.V. Balachandran, and S. Sanoj, ward member A. Abu Thahir, and Milma Malabar zonal union managing director K.C. James spoke.
