Dairy farming has emerged as a big revenue earner for Keralites, with the latest government data showing that approximately eight lakh families in Kerala rely on cow rearing as their primary or secondary source of income.
In the fiscal year 2022-23, Kerala’s total milk production reached 25.79 lakh metric tonnes, with approximately 8 lakh families relying on cow rearing as their primary or secondary source of income. “The state’s dairy sector is making significant progress in milk production. Small and marginal farmers, along with farm labourers, are particularly dependent on cattle rearing for their livelihoods,” said an official document.
According to officials of the Department of Dairy Development, the state’s dairy sector has made significant strides towards self-sufficiency by reducing production costs and providing quality and safe milk and dairy products.
“Though milk production has increased drastically in the last few years, there is still a daily shortfall of 12 lakh litres in milk production compared to consumption levels in the state,” said an officer of the dairy development department. The officer added that the state aims to produce an additional 162 lakh litres of milk annually by providing 5,000 cows to farmers through funding schemes.
“We are getting good returns doing dairy farming. I started with one cow and now have ten cows. If we invest considerable time and effort, dairy farming is the best revenue-making option in Kerala,” said Ramesh P, a 45-year-old dairy farmer in Alappuzha who directly supplies fresh milk to over 50 homes daily.
As per the details available, the Dairy Development Department has also decided to implement a new program, offering cows to economically disadvantaged individuals with 90 per cent financial assistance to boost milk production in the state.
The government data shows that 3.97 lakh farmers have enrolled in 3,608 dairy societies, and milk procurement through these societies amounts to around seven lakh metric tonnes, which is about 27 per cent of the state’s total milk production.
