Milk price should be hiked: Minister

KALPETTA: The High Court is yet to decide whether Milma or the government has the right to increase the price of milk, but the price of milk should be increased anyway,” said Minister for Rural Development and Dairy Development K C Joseph.  He was addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone for the second phase of the Wayanad Dairy project at Chuzhali on Monday.“Majority of dairy farmers would leave the sector if the price of milk is not increased, as the production cost of dairy is sky-rocketing,” he pointed out. “The attempt to increase the price of milk is always protested. Dairy development is the only hope of agriculture in the state and plans are afoot to provide subsidy for fodder,” the Minister said.He said that dairy was in the list of 49 items submitted by the state to the Centre to be included in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP).“If the Centre gives a green signal, the dairy farmers who rear two cows and supply 10 litres of milk daily would be considered as MGNREGP workers,” he added. “Moreover, the government is planning to provide ‘dairy farmer welfare pension’ for those who have supplied milk for five years continuously and have reached 60 years of age.” Minister for Tribal Welfare and Youth Development P K Jayalakshmi, who inaugurated the milk farmers’ meet, said that the district deserved special consideration in dairy sector and infrastructure development.District Panchayat President K L Poulose presided over the programme. Milma chairman P T Gopalakurup delivered the introductory speech. Kerala Veterinary University Vice-chancellor Dr B Ashok, District Collector V Ratheesan, Municipal Chairman A P Hameed, Dairy Development Department Director K T Sarojini, Milma Director Pramodkumar Padhak, Ernakulam Milk Farmers’ Union chairman M T Jayan, District Bank Administrative Committee convener P V Balachandran, Kalpetta block panchayat president Salim Memana, district panchayat standing committee (development) chairman A P Sreekumar, municipal standing committee (development) chairman P P Ali, P Sasidharan, P K Gopalan, C K Saseendran, P P A Karim, K K Hamza, Vijayan Cherukara and K Sadanandan spoke. Malabar Region Milk Farmers’ Union chairman P P Gopinatha Pillai welcomed the gathering