By JOBY JOSEPH
Milco Secretary D. Ajayan, Dr. P. Kamalasanan Pillai, Board Member S. Baiju, Milco President R. Krishnankutty, Dairy’s Secretary and Milco Director Suresh, and Vice President Vijayalakshmi are part of this model that has turned a Community Dairy Farm into a working example for small-scale dairy farmers.
Milco becomes a model by setting up a Community Dairy Farm for small-scale dairy farmers. The Perumkulam Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society, Milco, in Kollam district is creating a new agricultural culture in collaboration with farmers, leading ventures like the Community Dairy Farm and Agro Farm.
It’s a distance of over 630 kilometers. From Bengaluru to the village of Perumkulam via NH. A journey of about a day and a half. There’s fatigue. But there’s no time to be tired. No difficulty either. It has blended in with Perumkulam. Along with the other cows. It yields milk.
The milk is unadulterated. Just as it was milked. It reaches homes in the nearby areas or towns. Pure milk that can reach your kitchen. Not just milk, the dung can also be sold. The profit share will reach home every month. Bank repayments will be made on time.
As a micro-enterprise, it is enough to invest one lakh rupees in one cow. An average dividend of 2,200 rupees will be received. This is at a time when depositing one lakh rupees in a bank would fetch only 600 rupees per month. However, when buying a cow for one lakh rupees, there is a subsidy of 50,000 rupees. In addition, there is income from cow dung.
Investment: One lakh rupees in one cow as a micro-enterprise.
Average dividend: 2,200 rupees every month, according to the society model.
Bank comparison: One lakh rupees in a bank would fetch only 600 rupees per month.
Subsidy: When buying a cow for one lakh rupees, there is a subsidy of 50,000 rupees.
Those who take a share in the Community Dairy Farm have no hassles. It is enough to just make the investment. There is a society to manage the ventures. The cows can be visited once a week. There is no need to worry about whether the milk production has decreased or if there are health problems.
There are people here to feed, milk, and clean the dung. They are all employees of the society. The cow dung is processed, dried, powdered, and turned into fertilizer. It is packed and sold. This is a major source of income for the venture.
In addition, there is an Agro Farm attached to the Community Dairy. Fodder like grass and maize required for the cows are cultivated on this farm. This significantly reduces the cost of cattle feed. The rest is sold outside to generate income. Grass and maize are provided at a low price to the dairy farmers registered with the society.
🚚 The society has its own vehicle for its operations. Milk is delivered to homes in the vehicle. Organic fertilizer is also sold. The society does not own land. The farms are on leased land. The dairy farm is on a hilltop in Perumkulam.
🌱 The operation is in a way that does not cause environmental problems. The meadows on the hilltop provide grazing facilities for the cows. 10 people have permanent employment here. Since the slurry produced from cow dung is used as fertilizer in the farmland, there is no pollution.
Making value-added products from cow dung is by far more profitable than raising a cow alone. The social challenges faced in cattle rearing today include difficulties in getting high-yielding cows, space constraints, difficulty in finding laborers, high wages, lack of fodder grass, rise in the price of cattle feed, and difficulty in selling the products.
Kerala is a state with high population density. Even now, all villages are becoming cities or suburbs. The number of houses is increasing day by day. In such situations, if there is a smell or pollution when raising a cow alone, complaints may come from neighbors. That too can be avoided.
There is also insurance coverage if anything happens to the cow. It is where one gets only 600 rupees as interest that a profit of 2,200 rupees is obtained for one lakh. The profit share will also be received every month. Therefore, this is an excellent investment.
🛡️ The cow can be registered in your name. If the cow dies, you don’t have to worry about losing money. The cow is registered with insurance equivalent to the capital invested.
The Cooperative Society, Milco, is leading this venture for corporate farmers in Thiruvananthapuram and Attingal, with many more qualities than national savings schemes and one of the premium milking cows in Kerala.
Through this, a common farm is established in one place by providing all the basic facilities for small-scale farmers interested in raising cows. This is for small-scale farmers who are interested in raising cows. This might make them back out. Society is there to overcome these problems.
A community dairy farm is a concept where small-scale farmers come together to start a farm. The society provides all the necessary infrastructure facilities for the farm. The farmers only need to invest money. The society takes care of everything from buying the cows to selling the milk. The profit is shared among the farmers.
This can be overcome. Sometimes they might fall into huge losses. However, the problems that a small farmer faces can be overcome. This is where the community dairy farm becomes relevant. It opens up opportunities for farmers from outside the state as well. Dr. P. Kamalasanan Pillai is the agricultural scientist who developed the idea of the community dairy farm based on his years of experience.
Milk is a product that gets a price at all times. There is Milma to procure and sell milk. Milma is a chain that procures milk from farmers and delivers it to consumers. Therefore, there is no need to worry about marketing.
Since it is 100% pure country milk, there are many customers. It is delivered directly to homes. In addition, it is also supplied to bakeries, tea shops, and hotels. The society also has its own outlet. Sales are also there.
The milk from the Community Dairy Farm is sold under the name Premium Milk. Community Dairy Farm’s 100% pure country milk Premium Milk is sold at a rate of 55 rupees per liter, and the society sells it to the milk agent for 60 rupees.
Premium Milk is sold as 100% pure country milk.
Milk is delivered directly to homes in nearby areas and towns.
Curd, buttermilk, ghee, butter, ice cream, and peda are also sold.
The society has its own cold storage, helping to keep the milk from spoiling.
Once the Kida Park project sanctioned by the State Cashew Development Department for the society was completed, Milco is utilizing this place for the Community Dairy Farm. It is on this land, leased for 15 years, that there is a shed that can house 100 cows, value-added facilities including for fodder production, and Napier grass cultivation. It is on this three-and-a-half-acre land.
Milco housing committee member S. Baiju and secretary S. Krishnan are leading the Palazhi Community Dairy Farm. 19 farmers who are members of the cashew society were part of the project initially.
Dr. Kamalasanan Pillai says the original model itself is a guarantee for the milk and eggs produced here at the rural level today. All the directors and farmers in the state have a demand for milk and milk products. The society is able to procure and sell milk by giving them a good price.
Modern equipment is used to measure the milk and check its quality. The profit share is given to the shareholders accurately. Through this, the financial security of the farmers is ensured.
6 lakh rupees were raised through borrowing for the initial work.
High-yielding cows were bought from a farm in Bengaluru.
The cows are given a price of 70,000 rupees each.
The remaining 30,000 rupees is deposited in the society’s funds.
Poultry farming is also part of the society’s activities. The poultry farm, which has about 380 chickens, is under the society’s funds. It produces around 300 eggs per day.
Another venture is to sell the by-products from the dairy farm, such as cow dung and poultry manure, as fertilizers. This is also a good source of income. It also provides employment to women.
The system where producers deliver directly to consumers is what continues now, says Dr. Kamalasanan Pillai. The situation where the prices of food and fertilizers were reduced has changed. This is the time when the quality and safety of food are being questioned the most. Using this situation, the prices of our products can also be increased, he adds.
The main objective of the Palazhi Community Dairy is to start a project under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission of the Central Government by including small investors. State-of-the-art Andhra, Kerala, Karnataka for small farmers. The Palazhi Community Dairy is a project implemented as a model. A farmer who invests in this farm will not suffer losses. Dr. Kamalasanan Pillai says that he will get back his investment with a good profit.
☎️ Contact: 9387212005, Dr. Kamalasanan Pillai.
☎️ Contact: 9400759455, S. Baiju.
🐄 How does Milco’s Community Dairy Farm investment work?
In Milco’s Community Dairy Farm model, small investors take a share by investing in a cow. The society manages the daily work, including buying cows, feeding, milking, cleaning, marketing milk, and processing dung. The investor does not need to maintain the cow at home and receives a monthly profit share.
💰 How much income can one cow generate every month?
According to the article, an investment of one lakh rupees in one cow can give an average dividend of 2,200 rupees per month. This is compared with about 600 rupees per month from depositing one lakh rupees in a bank. Income from cow dung also adds to the model.
✅ Is there any subsidy for buying a cow through this model?
The article states that when buying a cow for one lakh rupees, there is a subsidy of 50,000 rupees. The cow can also be registered in the investor’s name, and insurance coverage equivalent to the capital invested is provided if anything happens to the cow.
🥛 How is the milk from the Community Dairy Farm sold?
The milk is sold under the name Premium Milk as 100% pure country milk. It is delivered directly to homes and also supplied to bakeries, tea shops, and hotels. The society has its own outlet, vehicle, and cold storage, which helps in marketing and keeping milk from spoiling.
🌱 Why is cow dung important in this dairy farm model?
Cow dung is processed, dried, powdered, packed, and sold as organic fertilizer. The slurry from cow dung is also used in farmland, reducing pollution. This turns a by-product into a major source of income and helps the farm operate in a more environmentally responsible way.
🏡 What problems does the Community Dairy Farm solve for small farmers?
The model helps solve common dairy farming problems such as lack of space, difficulty finding laborers, high wages, rising cattle feed costs, shortage of fodder grass, pollution complaints, and marketing difficulty. The society manages these responsibilities while farmers or investors participate through shared ownership.
🐓 Are there other income sources besides milk?
Yes. The society also runs poultry farming with about 380 chickens producing around 300 eggs per day. It sells cow dung, poultry manure, and organic fertilizer. Milk products such as curd, buttermilk, ghee, butter, ice cream, and peda also provide additional income.
