THODUPUZHA:
Kerala Feeds Limited (KFL) will cater to half of the state’s cattle-feed market in the next two years, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said today.
Commissioning a high-technology plant of the PSU, he termed the Rs 75.75-crore facility within the stipulated time-frame as an achievement for the state considering a general slowdown in the economy. The government is decided in its mission to proceed with the path of development, he added.
“The government is duty-bound to take care of KFL, which had stood with the dairy farmers by selling the products at affordable prices during the floods our state faced in the last two years,” the CM noted after inaugurating the with a capacity of 500 tonnes set up at Arikuzha, 10 km east of this town in hilly Idukki district. “KFL follows a production procedure that involves quality checking at four stages. That ensures the consumers are free of adulteration.”
The country needs milk-based value-added products, which deserves stronger market elsewhere in the country and even abroad, Vijayan said.
The facility, with a 1,350-sq-metre godown for finished products and another 3,300 sq-metre godown for raw materials, is scheduled to start trial production this month amid the government’s efforts to meet increasing demand for dairy and poultry feeds at affordable prices.
Today’s ceremony also saw the launch of three newest products of the 1995-founded KFL headquartered in Kallettumkara near Irinjalakuda of Thrissur district. The CM launched the highly-nutritious KF Dairy Rich Plus feed for milch cows, while KF Kairali and KF Athulyam brands of feed for egg-laying chicken were launched by Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development K Raju.
Thodupuzha MLA P J Joseph delivered the keynote address. A former minister, honoured the private dealers and societies who emerged top in the sales of KFL products last year.
Raju, while presiding over the function, said Kerala is poised to attain self-sufficiency in milk production. “KFL is not raising the prices of its products because we are keen to avoid burdening the state’s dairy farmers,” he added. “That is why we cannot afford to worry too much about the loss the PSU is incurring of late.”
Legislator Joseph called for exact measurement of the quality of cattle feed and chicken feed. He hailed the government’s efforts to boost the state’s chicken-feed market.
KFL Chairman K S Indusekharan Nair, welcoming the gathering, said skyrocketing price of inputs was leading to the losses of the PSU of late, but there won’t be a proportionate rise in the prices. KFL Managing Director Dr B Sreekumar, presenting a report, said the PSU always takes care to ensure that the consumers are largely unaffected by the rise in prices of the inputs of the products.
KFL Assistant General Manager Usha Padmanabhan proposed thanks. Milma Chairman P A Balan Master, Thodupuzha Municipality President Prof Jessy Antony and Manakkad Grama Panchayat President Vatsa Mathew and members of civic bodies attended the function.
K F Dairy Rich Plus
This feed is mainly meant for hybrid cows. This healthy feed will address issues arising from malnutrition, under production of milk and problems relating to reproduction. This is especially good for lactating cows. The cow will get a balanced diet out of this feed including bypass protein and minerals, which are essential for robust health of the animal and increasing the milk output. This brand occupies the top rung of KFL’s wide range of products.
KF Kairali, K F Athulyam
These two brands mainly target farmers that rear egg-laying chicken in open environs. Birds reared in open often fails to get sufficient nutrients from traditional feeds like food grains or left -over food and morsels. Since there is a serious shortage of layer feed in the market, these two brands will meet the demand for that. Both the brands are priced affordably and will be available in 10 and 20-kg bags.
Thodupuzha Plant
The newest plant here had its foundation stone laid in 2014 following the M S Swaminathan Commission’s report that recommended an Idukki Package that said the hill-district had the capacity to meet the entire state’s demand for milk. Set up with a Rs 17.01-crore grant from the state government, the project had a support of Rs 23.25 crore from Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna and a loan of Rs 20 crore from NABARD.
The plant also has two silos of 1400 cubic metre for exclusively storing seasonally available raw materials, while six other silos of 700 cubic metres each have also been set up. Also completed is the work of a 39-metre field tower needed for the production based on MMCP technology (Milling, Mixing, Cooking and Pelleting). Machinery such as batch mixer, hammer mill, molasses mixer, pellet mill and pellet colour have been imported and installed. A computerised motor control unit to steer the field mill has also been set up at the plant, which has is to set up a two-tonne wood fuel boiler. The calibration work of 2500- tonne molasses tank is over.
The plant has two weighing bridges of 50 tonnes and 30 tonnes respectively, rain-harvesting facilities, administrative building, canteen, washrooms, common amenities for workers, approach roads, drainage and a compound wall.
Eight clearances from the competent authorities for setting up the plant have been obtained. The trial run will start by this month end on getting the energisation clearance from KSEB.
