Aavin to establish ice cream plant in Madurai

An ice cream manufacturing facility, at a cost of ₹55.95 crore, and an ultra heat treatment plant on an outlay of ₹40 crore with a capacity of 25,000 litres a day for processing and packing of flavoured milk, are to be established on a 8.31- acre land on the Aavin campus in about 18 months.

Laying the foundation stone for construction of the new facility at a function held at the sprawling Aavin campus at Sathamangalam here, Dairy Development Minister K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji said that the ice cream project would be executed by the National Dairy Development Board on a turn-key basis. It would produce 10,000 litres a shift. The new facility would boost Aavin’s market share in southern districts phenomenally. In three years from commissioning the ice cream plant, the Aavin would break even, he said.

Minister for Cooperation Sellur K. Raju said the ice cream plant would give direct employment to about 200 persons. The State government had promised to implement 55 works in the election manifesto. “As per the wishes of our leader Jayalalithaa (Amma), the Edappadi Palaniswamy government had dedicated 10 projects. The remaining 45 projects would be completed in the remaining 50 months of the term,” he said.The Madurai Aavin had earned ₹30.17 crore as profit during 2016-17. In a bid to increase milk production and procurement, farmers in the region were given 63,280 milch animals in the last five years. Moreover, all the employees of the Aavin here, upon super-annuation, were getting a pension of ₹ 3,500 every month, Mr. Raju added.

Revenue Minister R.B. Udayakumar said the Aavin, which was selling butter milk at ₹ 7 through its outlets, would sell it at ₹5 from May 1. Aavin Managing Director Kamaraj said more hi-tech parlours would be opened across the State. Around 200 educational institutions had agreed to give space on their campuses for setting up Aavin kiosks. Similar facilities, selling flavoured milk and sweets such as milk peda et al., would be set up along highways, he added.

Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao, senior Aavin officials, MLAs V.V. Rajan Chellappa, Periapullan and others participated.

THE HINDU