Kerala soon to be self-sufficient in milk production: K Raju

Alappuzha: Animal husbandry minister K. Raju has said the state would become self-sufficient in milk production within a couple of years. He was speaking after inaugurating the various cattle development projects initiated by the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) at Kayamkulam near here on Friday.

The number of cattle has reduced drastically in the last decade. In 2002, the number of cattle in the census was around 21 lakh in the state. In 2012, it plunged to 13.2 lakh. However, the production of milk stood steady. The joint effort of the animal husbandry hepartment, KLDB and other government agencies helped to increase the milk production, he said. The aim of the government was to increase the number of high-yielding cows, he said.