Malabar Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited under the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation produces the best quality milk in the country, according to data released by the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Microbial load
Methylene blue reduction time (MBRT), a test used in the dairy industry to determine microbial load in milk, was the highest in the country. The test is done by adding methylene blue, a salt used as a dye, into a milk sample and measuring the time required for its de-colouration. A high microbial load is indicated by the disappearance of the colour in a short time. The average MBRT of the milk collected from farmers in the Malabar region has gone up from 152 minutes in 2017-18 to 204 minutes in 2021-22. Milk unions in Karnataka and Punjab recorded 190 minutes and 180 minutes of MBRT, respectively.
Steps taken to improve production
Mr. Mani said the steps had helped dairy farmers increase production. He pointed out that of the 1,198 milk cooperative societies, 240 have advanced coolers to store cold milk. Of them, 62 have implemented international food safety management system. There are 14 quality assurance technicians in six districts in the Malabar region, who ensure the quality of milk through mobile laboratories.
Mr. Mani said the union was also providing insurance coverage to farmers to tide over the dip in production due to the summer heat. He added that milk was now being brought from States such as Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to meet the demand. However, this would not be feasible in the long term as the transportation cost was high. The production would have to be increased in the future, Mr. Mani said.
