The chairman of Alangulam Panchayat Union Council submitted a report on a new project, aimed to benefit cattle farmers and women self-help groups, with the district Collector P Akash.

The district administration said it would help arrange the required fund through the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and District Industrial Centre for the project implementation, which was floated by the chairman Divya Manikandan.

“The Union Council will employ women of SHGs to directly purchase milk from the cattle farmers. The purchased milk will be stored in bulk milk coolers which will be set up in multiple locations. These women themselves do marketing for the milk. From the purchase to the sale of milk, only the women will be engaged. At present, the cattle farmers sell a litre of milk to the milkman for Rs 25. Since the middlemen are avoided in our project, the union council will pay Rs 32 to the farmers for each litre of milk,” read the report.

Speaking to TNIE, Divya said the purchased milk will be sold for Rs 45 to industries and Rs 50 to consumers.

“The profit will be shared among the SHGs. We are also planning to establish a cattle farm with the fund of NABARD. Many cattle farmers are selling their milk to the milkman after getting an advance amount from the latter. We will help these farmers to repay the advance amount and make them our supplier. Soon, a 2,000-litre bulk milk cooler will be set up at Kavalakurichi panchayat in the first phase. Gradually, we will implement this project in all village panchayats of our union,” she added.

The district Collector recently visited Kavalakurichi village and had a discussion with the Chairman and officials on this project.