Onam festival: 991 tonnes of ghee, 1.19 crore litres of milk sold in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 5 ( IANS) The Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), better known as Milma, has posted record sales this Onam season, led by surging demand for ghee and steady growth in milk and curd.

Between August 1 and 31, Milma sold 863.92 tonnes of ghee, a 30 per cent increase from 663.74 tonnes last year.

In the four days leading up to Onam, another 127.16 tonnes were sold, taking the festive season total to 991.08 tonnes. Milk and curd sales also registered growth.

On Uthradam day (September 4) alone, Milma sold 38.03 lakh litres of milk and 3.97 lakh kg of curd, surpassing last year’s 37 lakh litres and 3.91 lakh kg respectively.

In the five-day run-up to Uthradam, total sales touched 1.19 crore litres of milk (up from 1.16 crore litres) and 14.58 lakh kg of curd (up from 13.76 lakh kg), reflecting an average year-on-year increase of around 5 per cent.

Milma attributed the performance to planning, procurement strategies, and supply chain efficiency in anticipation of festive demand.

“This record achievement reaffirms the immense consumer confidence in Milma’s staple products, which are widely recognised for their superior quality and efficient delivery,” said KCMMF chairman K.S. Mani.

The cooperative also introduced 50-ml ghee packs distributed in six lakh Supplyco kits, alongside its range of ready-to-eat payasams and payasam kits, both of which recorded strong sales.

Mani credited the achievement to the combined efforts of the federation’s board of directors, three regional unions, management, dairy farmers, employees, distributors, and logistics personnel.

He also extended Onam greetings to Keralites worldwide, emphasising the role of consumer loyalty in Milma’s consistent performance.

The strong Onam sales highlight Milma’s resilient market leadership in Kerala’s dairy sector amid intensifying competition from private brands.

With nearly one crore households depending on Milma products, the cooperative’s ability to sustain double-digit growth in value-added products like ghee, while maintaining steady volumes in milk and curd, strengthens its position as the state’s dominant dairy supplier.

--IANS

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