Kerala’s cooperative dairy major Milma has recorded a 25% increase in its turnover in 2021-22, overcoming the pandemic-induced crisis over the last two years.
The higher turnover was achieved without cutting down the procurement price of milk from farmers and without increasing the selling price. Also, a slew of special incentives and subsidies were passed on to nearly 1 million dairy farmers affiliated to the multi-tier co-operative network.
In 2021-22, the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), a household name in the State known by the brand Milma, increased its turnover (provisional) to ₹4,300 crore from ₹3,388 crore the previous year. In 2019-20, Milma’s turnover stood at ₹3,210 crore.
“The last two years have been really tough, with the COVID-19 pandemic triggering an all- round crisis. But Milma has been able to come through unscathed, living up to the unflinching faith reposed on the network by thousands of farmers and loyal customers,” said Milma Chairman K.S. Mani.
Milma, along with its three regional unions, has achieved an all-time increase in procurement, distribution, turnover and profit in the last two years despite severe constraints imposed by the pandemic, he said.
The procurement of milk by Milma went up by 12.52% to 15,19,737 litres per day in 2021-22 from 13,50,656 litres per day the previous year. The daily sale of milk also increased to 14,29,654 litres a day during the year from 13,09,868 per day the previous year.
Over the last two years, the federation had distributed 1,16,878 bags of cattle feed per year at a discount rate of ₹400 per bag under the government’s COVID-19 relief scheme.
The plans to step up processing, production and storage capacity of Milma have also gained pace under the initiative of the KCMMF and its regional unions. The work on the ₹8-crore NABL-accredited laboratory at Ernakulam, utilising the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) fund, is nearing completion.
Milma has also expanded its market reach by forging tie-ups with institutions such as KTDC, KSRTC, Supplyco, Kudumbashree, Devaswom Boards and various government departments, the press note said.
