Milk shortage: Kerala to tap Maharashtra

Faced with acute milk shortage, Kerala's apex dairy co-operative Milma today decided to procure milk and milk powder from Maharashtra. A meeting of Milma authorities here decided to mobilise an additional 20,000 litres of milk, 600 tons of milk powder through the dairy co-operatives in Maharastra to ease the situation. After the meeting, Milma chairman PT Goapala Kurup told reporters that the scarcity now being felt would be tackled in three days. The daily milk requirment in the state was estimated to be around 11.25 lakh litres against the domestic production of six lakh litres. The rest was met by supplies from outside the state. In view of the prevailing situation,an additional quantum of 20,000 litres would be procured from Maharashtra, he said. Milma wanted the state government to approach the Centre for exploring the possibility of importing milk powder free of import cess, Kurup said.