Aavin Madurai Milk Procurement Drops 4,000 Litres a Day After Five Days of Rain

Aavin's milk procurement in Madurai fell by 4,000 litres per day to 1.44 lakh litres on October 26, from 1.48 lakh litres on October 22, after five days of rain waterlogged grazing land, the New Indian Express reported. Aavin is the Tamil Nadu state dairy cooperative that procures milk from district unions and sells it under its own brand.

Madurai Farmers Describe Waterlogged Pastures

Aavin officials said procurement dropped from 1.48 lakh litres on October 22 to 1.44 lakh litres on October 26. AC Venmani, a milk farmer, said hot weather had earlier cut yields in his cooperative societies, and the rains that followed encouraged fresh grass to grow on open land. Continuous rainfall then left grazing areas waterlogged, making it hard for cattle to graze.

T Inbaraj of Usilampatti, who owns around 14 cows, said he saw yields fall with the recent rain in the taluk. A cow that previously produced 12 litres of milk per day was now yielding only 10 litres, he said, adding that cold and rainy conditions could be affecting production.

A senior Aavin official in Madurai said the decline was temporary and tied it to weather-related stress among cattle. "These animals do not like either the hot summer or cold weather. When they are stressed, such changes occur. During rainfall, grazing time is also reduced," the official said. The official said procurement could recover to 1.85 lakh litres per day by the end of October. Aavin has increased cattle feed supply to milk cooperative societies to 337 tonnes this month.

Aavin's Recent Price and Capacity Moves

Aavin raised prices on ghee, butter, curd and other milk products effective October 28, the first hike under Chief Minister Vijay's government, Mint reported on October 27. On October 25, PMK chief Anbumani Ramadoss urged the Tamil Nadu government to form an expert committee to address what the party called Aavin's financial and administrative crisis, CNBC TV18 reported.

The Tiruchi District Milk Producers' Cooperative Union's ice cream plant at Kottapattu began production after eight months of idleness, The Hindu reported on October 10. Built for ₹21.57 crore, the plant produces 6,000 litres of ice cream daily and 10,000 litres of curd and lassi.

Aavin's October 28 Price Change

Aavin's revised prices for ghee, butter, curd and other milk products took effect on October 28, the date Mint gave for the increase. The Madurai official's recovery estimate of 1.85 lakh litres per day is set for the end of October.