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The minister was inaugurating a function organised to hand over the Milma grant to dairy groups and employees of the Malabar Region of the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation at Chandranagar here on Saturday.
The minister said the state will set up a milk powder factory in Malappuram.
The new products include three variants of premium dark chocolate and a milk chocolate variant under the DELIZA brand, besides two variants of Milma Chocofull and Osmania Butter Biscuits and Butter drops.
The minister said the Kerala government has received an assurance in this regard from the Karnataka government.
Kerala Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Milk Cooperatives J Chinchurani said she has received information in this regard from the CEO of the Karnataka Milk Federation.
Dairy farmers have demanded the state government's urgent intervention to avoid the invasion of a large co-operative into the Milma's domain and ensure that the dairy farmers end up cutting a sorry figure at the end of the tussle.
Over 10 lakh dairy farmers are part of 3,200 dairy cooperatives across Kerala today.
What earlier triggered the controversy was the decision of Nandini, the country’s second-largest cooperative milk brand, to further expand its presence in neighbouring Kerala.
In an apparent reference to the recent entry of milk and other dairy products of popular Karnataka brand Nandini into Kerala, Milma Chairman K S Mani said that despite such challenges the Kerala-based company was able to record a remarkable growth in sales.
Karnataka Milk Marketing Federation 'aims is to supply deficit milk of two-and-half lakh litres to Kerala market, not compete with Milma.