THODUPUZHA:
Kerala Feeds Ltd (KFL) will get a high-technology plant on Sunday when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will commission the PSU’s production-enhancing facility amid efforts to meet increasing demand for dairy and poultry feeds at affordable prices.
The January 5 ceremony at Arikkuzha of Idukki district will mark the formal inauguration of the 500-tonne capacity plant that has been set up at a cost of Rs 75.75 crore.
At the 4 pm function to be presided over by Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development K Raju, KFL will launch three newest products. While Raju will launch KFL’s new KF Kairali and KF Athulyam brands of feed for egg-laying chicken, Electricity Minister M M Mani will launch highly-nutritious KF Dairy Rich feed for milch cows.
Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose will be the chief guest at the ceremony. The keynote address is to be delivered by Thodupuzha MLA and former minister P J Joseph, who will honour the private dealers and societies who emerged top in the sales of KFL products last year. KFL Chairman K S Indusekharan Nair will welcome the gathering, while the PSU’s Managing Director Dr B Sreekumar will present a report. KFL Assistant GM Usha Padmanabhan will propose thanks.
Legislators E S Bijimol, Roshy Augustine and S Rajendran will attend the function, besides District Panchayat President Kum Kochu Thresia Paulose, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Principal Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Idukki District Collector H Dinesan, Milma Chairman P A Balan Master, MD Dr Patil Suyog Subhash Rao who is also KFL Board Member, Panchayat Vice-President Mathew John, Chairperson of Thodupuzha Municipality Prof Jessy Antony and other members of various civic bodies.
KFL, which is headquartered in Kallettumkara near Irinjalakuda of Thrissur district, was founded in 1995.
The newest plant in Thodupuzha, equipped with state of the art Swiss machinery, had its foundation stone laid in 2014 following the M S Swaminathan Commission’s report that recommended an Idukki Package that said the hill-district had the capacity to meet the entire state’s demand for milk. The newest facility, with a 1,350-sq-metre godown for finished products and another 3,300 sq-metres godown for raw materials, will start trial production this month.
