Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development J. Chinchurani inside the food truck rolled out by Milma in association with the KSRTC.
| Photo Credit: C.. SURESHKUMAR
Kerala will soon achieve self-sufficiency in milk production, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development J. Chinchurani has said.
She was inaugurating a Milma Food Truck here on Sunday. The facility serves snacks and refreshments in a refashioned KSRTC bus as part of expanding the marketing network of Milma products. “The project is to convert old buses into food trucks and this also ensures quality products to customers. Anti-drug campaigns will also be conducted with the help of Milma. School at Milma is a project that has been spreading awareness against substance abuse,” said the Minister.
Apart from marketing Milma products, the food truck project also aims to help the cash-strapped corporation as KSRTC gets a monthly rent of ₹20,000 along with a deposit of ₹2 lakh for each truck. “Milma food trucks will soon be launched at all major bus stands in the district. Kerala needs about 16-lakh litre of milk per day, of which 14 lakh litre is procured from the State. Milma will offer more than 50 products from milk that includes ice creams in different flavours. Facilities are being installed to convert surplus milk as powder,” said Ms Chinchrani. The department is also planning to distribute cows to extremely poor families with a 90% subsidy while efforts are under way to implement the Ksheera Gramam programme in around 50 panchayats.
Milma Thiruvananthapuram union administrative committee convener N. Bhasurangan, who presided over the function, said this was the fifth food truck started in collaboration with KSRTC. “Seven more trucks will be come up shortly. Through such initiatives, we aim to make Milma’s products available in all parts of Kerala,” he said. At present Milma has food trucks at Kayamkulam, Karunagappally and Thampanoor. According to officials, ₹5 lakh has been spent for the modification of the bus. Deputy Mayor Kollam Madhu conducted the first sale on the occasion. Milma Thiruvananthapuram union managing director D.S. Konda spoke on the occasion.
