Verghese Kurien upheld equality among milk farmers: Daughter

Kochi, Nov 26: By implementing his customary law that made dairy farmers stick to a single queue for procurement at the cooperatives, Dr Verghese Kurien blurred socioeconomic divides while ushering in White Revolution in the country, the legendary Milk Man’s daughter said today.

The social entrepreneur’s insistence that farmers, irrespective of their capacity to contribute to the milk production, should go by the “one queue, one can’ system was “revolutionary” in the movement the icon initiated in the 1970s, human resources expert Smt Nirmala Kurien recalled at a Milma event in Angalamy, 40 km north of the city.

Into the 1990s, when India initiated liberalisation, Dr Kurien was sceptical of the series of policy changes, Smt Nirmala noted in Dr Verghese Kurien memorial lecture at Adlux Convention Centre. “He was fine with foreign investment in industry, but not so with the farming sector,” she noted at the function that was inaugurated online by Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Smt J. Chinchurani.

At the function chaired by Shri Roji M. John, MLA, the Minister said Milma, which is the brand name for the 1980-founded Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), continues to implement its programmes with the total participation of the three-tier Panchayati Raj as envisaged by Dr Kurien (1921-2012).

“Milma is implementing a range of measures for the welfare of dairy farmers,” Smt Chinchurani said. “The government is committed to enabling milk farmers curtail their production expenses, including the prices of cattle feed and allied inputs.”

Legislator Shri John lauded the efforts of Amul, which initially hired Dr Kurien in 1949 as the general manager of the Anand Milk Union Limited as a cooperative society based in Gujarat. Speaking about the present state of the dairy sector in Kerala, he emphasised the need for controlling he prices of cattle feed for dairying to be profitable.

Shri Benny Behanan, MP, launched a comprehensive cattle insurance policy in the state. The event was attended by 1,500 milk farmers.

Milma Chairman Shri K.S. Mani, while recalling his personal association with Dr Kurien who went to serve as the Chairman of Amul, said Kerala had the potential to top the country’s states when it came in productivity of milk, though not necessarily in its quantity.

“Today, Kerala serves a model for milk cooperatives in the country. Through re-positioning, Milma has succeeded in bringing out products that stand on part with dairy companies of global repute,” Shri Mani said, adding that the cooperative’s recently agreement with Lulu Group will further enable it to make inroads into the international market.

Milma Ernakulam Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Chairman Shri M.T. Jayan, while elaborating on the new comprehensive cattle insurance policy, said the programme rolls out subsidies with a premium of 500 rupees. Further, the pioneering tele-veterinary scheme being carried out in the country by Milma will be of added help to the dairy farmers, he pointed out.

“We have always stood for product diversification,” Shri Jayan noted. “The opening of Milma’s confectionary unit near Chalakudy (Thrissur district) two weeks ago is a new step in the direction. Soon we will bring out dark chocolates.”

Milma’s Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Administrative Committee Convener Smt Mani Viswanath expressed pride in having become the first woman to occupy the prestigious post in the four decades of the cooperative society’s history.

Milma Managing Director Shri Asif K. Yusuf proposed thanks at the function that was also attended by directors of the cooperative society’s board besides functionaries of civic bodies.

The Thiruvananthapuram-headquartered KCMMF was established as a state adjunct of the National Dairy Programme ‘Operation Flood’ with 450 dairy farmers and producing a total of 52,000 litres of milk. Today, the cooperative societies under Milma total 3,300 and the milk procured has risen to more than 14 lakh litres a day. Every day, Milma distributes more than 17 lakh litres of milk, while its dairy products come out in 100-plus varieties, clocking an annual turnover of Rs 4,000 crore.