Milma discarded more than 31 tonnes of milk covers after printing the incorrect description of the type of milk.
A Hyderabad-based private company took tender from Milma to provide 50% of the film (packages) for the milk packets.
The company misprinted "pasteurized standard milk" on the film instead of "pasteurized toned milk." Such processed milk is not yet being sold by Milma in Kerala.
Milma issued the tender to the new firm after canceling the contract with the firm which was delivering the packs for a long time. According to the tender, each kg of film costs Rs 189.32. Following the printing error, a huge quantity of films is being dumped at the dairies in Thiruvanathapuram and Kollam.
In the meantime, Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam also wasted 12 and 19 tonnes respectively. It is hinted that Milma has paid 50 percent price for the films to the firm.
The Thiruvananthapuram dairy has been contacted for an explanation by Milma Federation MD. A controversy erupted after Thiruvananthapuram dairy officials granted permission for the packets with printing mistakes. Kollam dairy, however, denied permission.
The packets would be sent back to the company, according to N Bhasuramgan, administrator of the Milma Thiruvananthapuram union. Milma is also considering the legal challenges that come with using these packets, he continued.
About Milma
Recognized by the popular name ‘milma’, the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF) was launched in 1980 as a state adjunct of the National Dairy Programme ‘Operation Flood’. It is a 3-tier organization. The farmer memberships that stood at 45000 during the takeover from the erstwhile KLD&MM Board in 1983, have now grown to more than 15 lakhs through 3071 milk Co-operatives until March 2022.
