Kerala’s Cattle Strength Must Increase Earliest: Minister K Raju

THRISSUR:
Kerala warrants immediate measures to increase its cattle wealth amid a steep decline that is threatening to nullify the importance of cattle-feed, state Animal Husband and Dairy Development Minister Adv K Raju said today.

Employees of Kerala Feeds Limited (KFL) too should join an initiative that aims to strengthen the state’s cattle population, he said after inaugurating a bypass protein plant at the PSU’s headquarters at Kallettumkara near Irinjalakuda in this district.

KFL also merits greater publicity for its cattle feed, which is the best available product of its kind in the state, he added. “KFL is not primarily profit-driven,” the minister noted. “It works for the benefit of our cattle farmers.”

KFL Managing Director Dr B Sreekumar presented the report at the function that was chaired by Irinjalakuda MLA Prof K U Arun. KFL Chairman Dr K L Indusekharan Nair welcome the gathering, which also paid tributes to the soldiers who lost their lives in the February 14 Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Dairy farmer Sebastian Joseph, a native of Athirampuzha near Kottayam, was gifted with a gold coin he won at a lucky dip organised for buyers of KFL’s Midukki cattle feed.

The PSU, as part of diversification, opened its bypass protein plant run by an advanced technology that guarantees better-quality cattle feed. The new facility has been completed with the help of the National Dairy Development Board.

A bypass protein plant will ensure that the cattle feed it manufactures will have the capacity to retain proteins by more than a third in the body of the animal. That leads to increased production and quality of the milk.

The others who attended today’s function were Mala Block Panchayat President E Kesavan Kutty, District Panchayat Member Catherine Paul, Block Panchayat Member Shiny Santo, Aloor Panchayat President Sandhya Naisan, Board Member C K Chandran, representatives of three-tier panchayats and labour unions.