Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 27 (IANS) If Onam is about celebrations on nature’s munificence, Kerala appears to have taken the instruction rather literally, with milk flowing in abundance and liquor not far behind.
Milma recorded a 5.61 per cent increase in milk sales, selling 1.46 crore litres between August 20 and Uthradam (the first Onam) on August 25. Curds did even better, registering a 9.68 per cent jump with sales crossing 18 lakh kg during the same period.
And then there was the other side of the festive table.
Liquor sales through BEVCO and Consumerfed surged to Rs 771.29 crore in the eight days leading up to Uthradam, compared with Rs 694.96 crore during the corresponding period last year, an increase of nearly 11 per cent.
Uthradam itself proved to be a particularly busy day for Kerala’s liquor outlets.
Sales touched Rs 126.31 crore, with Consumerfed outlets alone accounting for around Rs 20 crore.
Major outlets of both networks witnessed heavy crowds as Malayalis stocked up for the festival.
So, while the traditional Onam kitchen was busy preparing payasam, avial, and an elaborate sadya, the state’s retail counters were keeping pace in their own very different ways.
Milk, too, had its own festive rush.
The Thiruvananthapuram regional union recorded a 5.86 per cent rise in milk sales and a 7.94 per cent increase in curd sales.
The Ernakulam union reported growth of 4.2 per cent in milk and 16.44 per cent in curd, while the Malabar region recorded increases of 6.03 per cent and 8.7 per cent respectively. Ghee, an essential ingredient in the Onam culinary universe, also moved briskly.
The Thiruvananthapuram union sold 297.85 tonnes between August 1 and 25, while the Ernakulam and Malabar unions recorded sales of 172.58 tonnes and 358.35 tonnes, respectively.
Put together, the numbers offer an amusing snapshot of the Malayali Onam economy — milk for the payasam, ghee for the sadya, and liquor for whatever comes after it.
The contrasting sales figures also underline how deeply consumption has become embedded in the festival.
Milma attributed its growth to advance planning, expanded procurement and careful supply-chain management to meet the seasonal rush.
BEVCO and Consumerfed, meanwhile, saw their outlets packed as the festival approached.
Milma Chairman K.S. Mani thanked consumers, dairy farmers, employees, distributors and others involved in ensuring uninterrupted supplies during the season.
The government has not released outlet-wise liquor sales figures, so the identity of Kerala’s biggest Onam liquor seller remains a mystery.
But one thing is clear: like in previous years during Onam, Kerala made sure that neither the glass of liquor nor the glass of milk was left empty.
–IANS
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