CM Vijay visits 63-year-old TN Madhavaram dairy complex amid Chennai Aavin milk shortage complaints and inaugurates a Rs 2.2 crore building for Aavin's central lab

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay visited Aavin's Madhavaram dairy complex in Chennai on Wednesday and inaugurated a new laboratory annex building for its Central Laboratory. Built at a cost of Rs 2.23 crore, the structure comes up at a complex that has been part of Chennai's milk supply chain for more than six decades.

Visit took place amid growing complaints from residents who say Aavin milk packets run out fast at neighbourhood outlets, pushing many households toward costlier private brands to meet daily needs. Vijay used the occasion to inspect ongoing dairy operations and sought details from officials on how packaged milk is being supplied across different parts of Chennai.

What Did CM Vijay Inspect At Madhavaram Aavin Complex

Along with inaugurating lab building, Vijay toured Madhavaram's Central Dairy and reviewed procurement, processing and distribution activities carried out there. He also inspected construction work on a separate new dairy facility coming up within same complex, officials said. Visit combined both a ceremonial inauguration and a working review of day to day operations at one of Chennai's main milk plants.

What Is Causing Aavin Milk Shortage In Chennai
Complaints about limited availability have been building for some time now. Residents say stocks at retail outlets sell out quickly, leaving many unable to buy quantities they need for daily use. Shortage has pushed some consumers to switch temporarily to private dairy brands, which typically cost more than Aavin's subsidised rates. Officials have not publicly detailed a single cause, though rising demand against existing production capacity appears to be part of picture.

How Much Milk Does Madhavaram Dairy Produce
Madhavaram facility produces between four lakh and 4.5 lakh litres of milk daily, according to information shared during visit. It processes and markets between three lakh and 3.6 lakh litres a day, with packaged milk sent out through more than 45 distribution routes covering various parts of Chennai. Complex also runs milk cooling facilities and storage rooms capable of holding 80 metric tonnes of milk powder, giving it sizeable buffer capacity on paper even as outlets report running dry.

Why Did Government Raise Procurement Price Twice
Visit comes close on heels of two procurement price hikes announced within span of a single month. On August 19, government raised procurement price by Rs 1 through cooperative societies and increased its own incentive from Rs 3 to Rs 5 a litre, pushing overall rate from Rs 38 to Rs 41. Less than a fortnight later, Vijay announced a further Rs 3 increase, taking rate to Rs 44 a litre. Second hike was announced in assembly under Rule 110, with chief minister citing rising cattle feed and input costs as reason behind revision.

What Did Officials Say About Procurement Costs
According to government, more than 3.16 lakh producers supplying primary dairy cooperative societies stand to benefit from latest hike. State will compensate Aavin fully for additional expenditure, estimated at about Rs 720 crore annually. Decision followed representations from cooperative milk producers' welfare associations, who pointed to rising costs of green and dry fodder, bran and oil cakes as reasons squeezing their margins.

What Happened In Assembly Over Milk Pricing
Issue found its way into assembly discussions even before second hike was announced. DMK whip E V Velu, former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and other legislators raised matter through a special call attention motion last week, pressing government on producer costs and pricing. Government's response came in form of fresh price revision announced by Vijay days later.