Milk societies under Milma's Malabar Union bag Gopal Ratna Awards

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 17 (PTI) Two milk cooperative societies affiliated with Milma's Malabar Regional Co-operative Milk Producers' Union have bagged the top honours at the National Gopal Ratna Awards 2025 in the Best Dairy Cooperative Society category.

MRCMPU’s Meenangadi Dairy Cooperative Society in Wayanad won the first prize, while the Kunnamkattupathy Dairy Cooperative Society in Palakkad was adjudged the second best, a press release said here on Monday.

The first and second prize winners will receive Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, respectively.

A total of 2,081 applications were received across various categories of the NGRA 2025 awards.

Dairy cooperatives under MRCMPU have consistently performed well in previous years, with Deepthigiri Dairy Cooperative Society winning the second prize in 2021, and the Mananthavadi and Pulpally societies bagging the first prizes in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

The NGRA awards are the country’s highest honours in the livestock and dairy sector, instituted by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) will present the awards during the National Milk Day celebrations on November 26, which coincide with the birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien, the father of India’s White Revolution, the release added.

Ministers of State S P Singh Baghel and George Kurian will also attend the event.

"This is a proud achievement for dairy farmers across Kerala, particularly those in the Malabar region," Milma Chairman K S Mani said. PTI TGB SSK