Milma’s ERCMPU to Pay Extra Rs 7 Per Litre to Farmers, Societies

KOCHI:
Milma’s Ernakulam Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (ERCMPU) will give an extra Rs 7 per litre to the societies under it, with Rs 5 per litre going to the farmers. This was decided by a meeting of ERCMPU held today.

This is the biggest such incentive by far in the history of the dairy sector in the country, ERCMPU Chairman M.T. Jayan revealed after the meeting in the city.

The biggest beneficiaries of the ERCMPU decision will be its 1,000-plus cooperative societies and their farmers for the next two months (February 1 to March 31). Of the amount, Rs 5 per litre will go to the farmer and the rest Rs 2 to the cooperative society. The Rs 2 per litre must be used to meet the employees’ salary and office expenses, according to ERCMPU.

ERCMPU envisages an annual extra expenditure of Rs 13 crore through the decision. Milma collects three lakh litres of milk every day from its farmers in Idukki, Kottayam, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts that comprise ERCMPU.

The union has kept apart Rs 17 crore to meet the pay-revision arrears over the past three years. The ERCMPU’s pioneering comprehensive cattle insurance and animal welfare schemes of Rs 5 crore endeavour is “going ahead without any hiccups”, Shri Jayan said.

ERCMPU will spend another Rs 10 crore this financial year from its operating profit for the benefit of the farmers and societies in the four districts, he added.