4 months ago
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The Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cooperative Milk Producers Union (TRCMPU) of Milma will launch an interest-free loan scheme for dairy farmers from January 1, 2024.
This is aimed at stepping up milk production to meet the shortfall in procurement, Mani Viswanadh, new chairperson, TRCMPU, said here on Friday.
Under the scheme, the interest on loans taken by dairy farmers from public sector and scheduled banks for buying cattle will be offset by a subsidy, Ms. Viswanadh, who is also the first woman to chair TRCMPU, said.
The interest subsidy will be given in proportion to the milk supplied to the cooperatives. TRCMPU has earmarked ₹ 1 crore for the interest-free loan scheme which targets an increase of 25,000 litres of milk daily.
One of three regions unions, TRCMPU covers the southern districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha.
Daily milk procurement by TRCMPU had declined to 3,64,952 litres in 2022-23 from 4,09,232 litres in 2021-22. The regional unions aims to increase it to 3,85,000 litres in 2023-24, Ms. Viswanadh said.
Ms. Viswanadh added that each packet of cattle feed sold by the affiliated cooperatives will be given a subsidy of ₹ 150 from January 1. As part of increasing the profits from Milma products, the share of dairy products in the total turnover will be scaled up to 25% within two years.
TRCMPU had reported a turnover of ₹ 1,208 crore in 2022-23 with dairy products holding a share of 15% in it.
Ms. Viswanadh’s appointment was announced on Thursday after the results of the elections held to the regional union nearly one-and-a-half years ago were declared on Thursday with the approval of the High Court. Ms. Viswanadh, who has been serving as Administrative Convener of TRCMPU since November, hails from Alappuzha. She is currently the President of Dairy Cooperative Society, Pathiyoorkala, Alappuzha, and Health and Education Standing Committee Chairperson of the Muthukulam Block Panchayat.
