‘Augment Aavin procurement capacity to 70L liters per day’

CHENNAI: Amid the furore over dairy giant Amul beginning milk procurement in Tamil Nadu which is seen as a direct challenge to State-run Aavin, Dairy Minister Mano Thangaraj directed officials to step up procurement to 70 lakh litre a day, nearly double of the existing quantum of purchase.

At a review meeting held at the secretariat on Saturday, the Minister also asked officials to explore measures to augment milk production by increasing the lactating capacity of milch cows in the state by utilising poramboke lands to grow cattle fodder.

While official numbers claim that Aavin procured about 38 lakh litres, sources in the dairy cooperative told DT Next that the actual procurement was about 35 lakh litres a day. That puts the proposed procurement at double of what it is right now, a tall task which would require multiple measures.

At the meeting attended by chief secretary V Irai Anbu, Minister Mano Thangaraj directed senior Aavin and dairy development department officials, Minister Mano Thangaraj to expedite the completion of infrastructure development on a war footing to augment the milk procurement capacity of Aavin to 70 lakh litres per day.

He also asked the officials to extend insurance cover to milch cows of dairy farmers, introduce new dairy products, and also directed them to ensure that milk products sold through Aavin conformed to quality standards.

The review meeting comes in the backdrop of Chief Minister MK Stalin asking Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah to direct Amul authorities to not procure milk from Aavin area in the State.