Aavin struggles to maintain normal milk procurement level

The Tiruchi District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, which sells milk under Aavin brand, is struggling to maintain normal level of milk procurement because of hot and extreme dry weather.

Tiruchi is an important milk procurement centre for the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Ltd. The union, which operates in Tiruchi, Ariyalur and Perambalur districts, has 625 milk producers’ societies under its control. The societies, which are located in Mannachanallur, Edumalai, Thuraiyur, Peramangalam, Duraimangalam, Perambalur, Musiri, Thottiam, Thathaiyangarpettai, Ariyalur, Jayankomdam, and Lalgudi are active in collection of milk from the milch animals owned by their members.

The union, on average, procures about five lakh litres a day. The average procurement in April stands at around 4.25 lakh litres. However, it is said that it had been facing hurdles in maintaining normal procurement level since March. According to sources, the daily procurement has gone down by around 25,000 to 30,000 litres a day. Except for one or two days, the procurement continues to decline for the last two weeks.

According to sources, as of Thursday the union procured 4.07 lakh litres, which is just 3,000 litres more than the previous day.

It is said that the searing summer had led to heat stress in cattle affecting milk output. With all tanks, lakes and ponds going dry in Ariyalur and Perambalur, it is said that farmers have been finding it difficult to provide drinking water to the milch animals. Moreover, they depend mainly on dry fodder in the wake of the absence of green pastures.

“The prevailing temperature, which is two to four degree Celsius, is making the life difficult for the milch animals. The heat wave has hit the yielding capacity of the animals. The situation will improve if we get one or two summer showers,” a senior official of the Tiruchi Aavin told The Hindu.

He said the dip in procurement had not affected the local sales in Tiruchi, Perambalur, and Ariyalur. While 1.5 lakh litres was allocated for the local sales, it sent about 2.5 lakh litres of milk to Chennai to meet the milk requirement in the State capital.