October 2, 2013

By September 2014, the hi-tech cattle feed production plant coming up under the aegis of Kerala Feeds Ltd. at Thiruvallur, Kozhikode, India will be ready for commercial operation.

Construction of the plant is in the final phase and works will be completed by February 2014. The factory, coming up in an area of 10 acres, will have all amenities, including a godown, facilities for water storage and rainwater harvesting, canteen, boiling unit, and restrooms for labourers. The factory, being built under the aegis of the Uralungal Labour Contract Society, will have the capacity to produce 300 tonnes of cattle feed/day.

The project, sanctioned by the government in 2011, is expected to benefit a large number of dairy farmers in the Malabar region. Though the factory is located in Thiruvallur, the products will be available through sub-dealers across the State. Once full-fledged operations begin, goat feed will also be available for the farmers.

A proposal for opening a sub-centre of Kerala Agricultural University on the site too has been submitted for the consideration of the government. M. Dasan, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), who submitted the proposal, said the excess land available after the factory was built could be utilised for the purpose.

The MLA said the cattle-feed production unit would be of big help to the dairy farmers in the Malabar region who were facing a shortage of quality feed at affordable prices. "The work is in full swing and we hope to start the commercial production by September 2014," he said.