Minister for Milk and Dairy Development T Mano Thangaraj on Wednesday said Aavin will soon introduce herbal milk products such as ashwagandha milk, dry ginger milk, and other products that traditionally strengthens the body. He also said the department has begun training 3,000 field-level staff to provide Ethnoveterinary Medicine (EVM) treatment for cattle owned by Aavin dairy farmers. The initiative aims to promote traditional methods of treating cattle illnesses, thereby reducing basic healthcare costs for dairy farmers.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a training organised for Aavin’s field-level staff, Thangaraj said the department launched four initiatives announced in the Assembly in February. “As promised, we have begun distributing stainless steel milk cans, milk-measuring equipment, milk-testing equipment and other stationery items to newly-registered Milk Producers Co-operative Societies (MPCS),” he said.
He also noted issues in milk procurement have been resolved, with daily procurement currently ranging between 36 lakh litres to 37 lakh litres. “Our current focus is on marketing milk products, and we have received proposals for new product launches. Herbal milk products will be introduced soon,” he added.
The minister also announced the implementation of other initiatives, including the sale of fodder through MPCS and the distribution of nutraceuticals to milk producers through MPCS at a nominal cost to improve cattle nutrition.