Dairy farmers would be paid an additional Rs 4 per litre of milk till March next year as part of a Rs 28 crore project for them as it was not possible to increase price of milk in the state presently, Kerala Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development J Chinchurani said on Thursday.
The minister said that the additional amount was already being paid to them from July 1 onwards and would continue till March next year, according to a statement issued by the Wayanad district administration.
The minister's announcement came during distribution of compensation to farmers in the district whose pigs were culled after an outbreak of African swine fever there, the statement said.
The amount will be transferred to the farmers' bank account directly, it said.
The minister said that the state government has earmarked Rs 28 crore for this project, prepared by the Dairy Development Department, and the funds would be found with the cooperation of local bodies, according to the release.