Essential commodities like rice and milk are in short supply in Kerala, amidst pilgrim season. While rice famine is following grain merchants in Andhra Pradesh resuming export of non-basmati rice, seasonal demand surge has set milk satchets at large.

Kerala consumes about 8 million litres of milk per day. But only 6 million is domestically produced. One-third of the demand is met by the State run-dairy co-operative Milma. The biggest shortage is in toned milk.

Besides the 27,000 litre per day bought from Hassan dairy in Karnataka, Kerala plugs its milk-gap with the backing of Varna dairy and Kolhapore milk co-operative in Maharashtra. Since Tamil Nadu is not running surplus, there is no inflow from this State this year.

“A milk grid, linking surplus and deficit states in the region, would be useful,” Kerala food minister C Divakaran told FE.

Although milk prices have been upped by a Re 1 per litre recently, the increase in consumers in Kerala has been overwhelming. The extra demand due to the Sabarimala pilgrim season could also be a factor, Milma sources said. About 50 million (the population of the State is only 34 million) pilgrims visit Sabarimala during the 41-day season.

Meanwhile, in the case of rice, the shortage is attributed to Andhra traders resuming export of non-basmati rice to Africa. In February, the Kerala government had bought groceries worth Rs 30 crore from Andhra Pradesh for its Supplyco outlets alone.

Wholesale markets in Kozhikode and Thrissur report that only one-tenth of the usual rice loads from Andhra Pradesh are coming. “The rice lorry traffic is leaner,” says P Chakkuni, grain merchant.

Despite the state government offering an unprecedented Rs 9 per kilo on paddy procurement, its milling capacities are very low, according to Yogesh Gupta, MD, Supplyco.

In Kuttanad and Palakkad, the State’s rice pockets, incessant rains have delayed the October harvesting of the first crop of paddy. “Second crop too is likely to be affected, as ground-preparation work could not be undertaken in time,” says Thomas Pilianikkal, who runs a paddy co-operative in Kuttanad. The market portents from the farms are that rice shortage is not in a hurry to leave the State.