The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation, whose popular brand is Aavin, has called for expression of interest (EOI) from companies for renting around 6,000 milk analysers for collection centres, Dairy Development Minister Mano Thangaraj has said.
“The equipment will help ensure spot acknowledgement for farmers and proper quality to the consumer since it records parameters, including fat content, solids-non-fat, water content and any adulteration,” the Minister told The Hindu.
“We already have spot acknowledgement at around 6,000 points. We want to quickly cover the rest too. Since one analyser will cost around ₹35,000, EOI is the better option. It will help us cut down costs while ensuring service for farmers. When farmers get the acknowledgement immediately, they are happy with the service,” the Dairy Development Minister added.
This effort is part of the steps to ensure quality at all stages – from procurement to end supply. “We are in the process of creating standard operating procedures for all quality checks. The Food Safety Department has been conducting a training programme for our staff and we are ensuring that the quality checks put in place by Aavin and the department are implemented properly,” he added.
Aavin recently sought suggestions from the public regarding the cooperative set up of the Federation. “The cooperative set up needs to be organised properly and our approach should be farmers-centric. I have ensured that payment to the farmers is made on time. That was one of the first steps that I took,” he added.
