Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation

Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF)

Type	Cooperative
Industry	Dairy
Founded	1980
Headquarters	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Products	Milk products & Cattle feeds
Revenue	Rs 705.95 lakhs INR (2005-06)
Employees	32,000
Website	milma.com

The Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF) or Milma started its operation in 1980 with its head office at Thiruvananthapuram. It was started under the Indo-Swiss project^[1]. The project was launched in 1963 on the basis of a bilateral agreement executed between the Swiss Confederation and the Government of India. The project has made great strides in the improvement of livestock farming in the state. One of them is the development of Swiss Brown, a cross breed suited for the state's conditions. The project is now managed by the Kerala Livestock Development and Milk Marketing Board. It main motive was to implement the Operation Flood programme started by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Kerala.

The project impact was so widespread that close to about 83 % of the adult cattle of the state got converted to the new breed – Sunandini-, the milk production increased by over ten times and the per capita availability of milk increased by over 7 times with over a million families dependent on milk production. The project has succeeded in integrating better technology and management to the traditional small holder production system. It also demonstrated how the high productive, semi stall fed cows led to a spontaneous decline in the total bovine population of the state from 34.6 lakh in 1977 to 21.86 lakh in 2003 when the total bovine population of India went through an upsurge. This contributed immensely to environmental sustainability. By demonstrating a growth model for productivity enhancement, the project not only impacted the million small livestock holders in Kerala, but also millions outside the state^[2].

The project demonstrated revolutionary institutional changes beginning with the Indo Swiss project of Kerala, an autonomous institution under the govt. of Kerala to the Livestock Development and Milk Marketing Board and then to the present autonomous company - the Kerala Livestock Development Board, with the formidable dairy cooperative system under the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (MILMA), under the able guidance of its first managing director S. Nagarajan IAS, spun off as successful an independent entity.

Kerala's milk demand / consumption per day is 10.90 Lakhs liters, whereas total production in Kerala amounts to 7.80 Lakhs liters per day. Thus, Kerala imports round about 3 Lakhs liters per day of milk from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra [1].

A Brief History

The name MILMA has been derived from the cumbersome predecessor, Kerala Livestock Development Board and Milk Marketing Board (KLD&MMB). KLD&MMB existed from 1976 to 1981. The name MILMA was coined at the official level by Mr. S. Nagarajan IAS. A 1961 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, he took over KLD&MMB as its first chairman.

Milk distribution in Kerala was available at only a few locations in Kerala. The distribution and sale was handled by the employees of the Board. The consumers had to purchase coupon booklets in advance and exchange the coupons in exchange for milk. No mechanism existed to tally the sale of milk and the coupons received. Mr. Nagarajan bought about a change in this system by making the consumer pay for milk at the time of purchase instead of the coupon booklet system. Moreover at that time milk was being sold in bottles and for the first time in India he introduced milk in ½ liter sachets. He had a prototype machine for packaging milk in sachets installed in Thiruvananthapuram. From the public sector he moved the sale of milk to the private sector. Milk booths permits were issued to private entities for the sale of milk from MILMA. From 1981 onwards under the advice of Dr. V. Kurien, by forming cooperative societies Prayar Gopalakrishnan and others were able to introduce MILMA to the whole of Kerala.^[3]

References

1. ^ http://www.kerala.gov.in/idukki/importsec.htm
2. ^ Joseph, A.K., "People Centered Livestock Service Reforms", Workshop on “Inspiring Change in the Livestock Sector – People to Policies” http://www.intercooperation.ch/offers/events/jubilee-25-years/SESSION%20PAPER%20-%20AKJOSEPJH.pdf
3. ^ http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/malayalamContentView.do?contentId=7896615&programId=2941708&channelId=-1073751706&BV_ID=@@@&tabId=11