Milma Hails KSEB’s Decision to Bring Dairy Enterprises in Agri Category

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, known by the brand Milma, has welcomed the decision of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to bring dairy farms with collection and chilling facilities and primary milk cooperative societies within the agriculture category in its last tariff revision.

While thanking Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty, Milma Chairman K S Mani said this has been a long-pending demand of the cooperative dairy movement in the state. This decision also reflects the government’s commitment to the dairy sector, which is a key segment of Kerala’s agrarian economy, and will support the growth of the dairy cooperative movement in the state, he added.

In the tariff revision effected by KSEB in April, dairy farms and Anand-model primary milk cooperative societies, have been shifted to LT V (B) – Agriculture category from the commercial category, resulting in reduction in power charges on them.

The revision has made LT V (B)-Agriculture category applicable to dairy farms which have facilities for collection, chilling and storing of milk till it is sent to the processing units. It also applies to primary milk producers’ cooperative societies that collect milk from farmers and sell it to the processing units in bulk, and also a majority of retail sales outlets.

Earlier, dairy farms and milk societies with chilling facilities were in the commercial tariff category, which entailed a power tariff of Rs 65 (up to 1000 watts), charged. This has come down to Rs 30/kW in agriculture tariff category.