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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala state is facing a milk shortage after neighbouring Karnataka has allegedly hinted at a move to cut by half the 300,000 litres it supplies daily.
Though the lush green state may look like a great place for dairy farming and many homes traditionally own livestock, the state has been dependent on neighbours for a major share of its milk supplies.
State food minister C. Divakaran had sparked a controversy a month ago when he allegedly advised people to drink milk and eat chicken if they found the rice too pricey. But now it appears that even milk could be out of reach for a major chunk of the people.
The fears have been given more credence with the Ernakulam Regional Cooperative Milk Producers‚ Union (ERCMPU) warning that the milk shortage was poised to aggravate with Karnataka expected to cut its supplies to Kerala.
ERCMPU chairman T.P. Marcos pointed out that Karnataka was may cut by half its supply of 300,000 litres daily.
ERCMPU officials say the two regions of Malabar and Ernakulam now received 80,000 litres each and Thiruvananthapuram 140,000 litres daily from the supplies arriving from Karnataka.
Once Karnataka slashes its supplies, all regions will all be severely affected, they said.
Milma, the apex milk co-operative in the state, has been demanding an increase in milk price claiming it has become unviable for it to procure milk from neighbouring states and supply it at controlled prices in Kerala.
However, the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led government has been against the idea of increasing the price to consumers, putting Milma in a financial spot. Farm sector observers point out that the milk crisis was bound to worsen in the coming months.
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