(MENAFN- IANS) Thiruvananthapuram Oct 11 (IANS) Kerala is poised to become India's largest milk producer through a series of targeted interventions to scale up production and strengthen the cooperative dairy ecosystem, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister J. Chinchurani said here on Saturday.

Speaking at a state-level seminar jointly organised by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), known by the brand Milma, the Minister noted that Kerala currently ranks second after Punjab in milk production.

“The state faces hurdles such as land scarcity affecting feed and fodder cultivation, but new projects are being rolled out to address these issues,” she said.

The seminar, themed“Prosperity Through Cooperation", was held in connection with the UN-declared International Year of Cooperatives and the diamond jubilee of NDDB.

The Minister highlighted initiatives including the expansion of land for growing feeding grass and the state-wide rollout of the digital livestock and e-health management system, e-Samrudha, which was successfully piloted in Pathanamthitta.

She emphasised lowering production costs, improving productivity, and leveraging technology to achieve self-sufficiency and sustainable growth in the dairy sector.

Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan underlined the social impact of cooperative dairy initiatives, noting how Milma has transformed rural livelihoods.

NDDB Chairman Meenesh C. Shah said India is“ready for White Revolution 2.0”, aimed at strengthening dairy cooperatives and bringing more farmers into the network.

He outlined NDDB's plan to increase milk procurement to over 10 crore litres per day within four to five years.

“Over eight crore dairy farmers have been instrumental in making India the world's largest milk producer,” he said, urging stakeholders to address challenges such as adulteration and the low share of organised milk marketing, currently at 32–35 per cent.

Milma Chairman K.S. Mani presented the federation's roadmap to scale up its turnover from Rs 4,327.24 crore in 2024–25 to Rs 10,052 crore by 2030, targeting a 15 per cent annual growth rate.

Plans include expanding the product footprint to airports, harbours, and cruise ships, and installing vending machines at 25 Kochi metro stations through the Ernakulam Regional Co-operative Milk Producers' Union.

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