Idukki: J Chinchu Rani, Kerala's Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, handed over five high-yielding cows to Mathew Benny on Tuesday. All the cows were insured and belonged to the Holstein Friesian (HF) breed.

Mathew, a fifteen-year-old student dairy farmer from Velliyamattom near Thodupuzha here, lost 13 out of his 20 cattle on December 31. The cows died all of a sudden after being fed with dried tapioca hull. Minister Chinchu Rani and Roshy Augustine, Minister for Water Resources, visited Mathew's house on January 2 and assured that the State government would provide him five high-yielding cows free.

On Tuesday, officials from the state-owned Kerala Feeds Limited also visited Mathew and rendered cattle feed for one month. Meanwhile, officers from the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma) handed over Rs 45,000 to the student farmer, as assured earlier.

According to Chinchu Rani, the animal husbandry department is planning to conduct awareness seminars on cattle rearing and management. The state will also initiate an insurance scheme for cattle in collaboration with the Union government, she added.

Chinchu Rani noted that Mathew has been receiving various subsidies from the state animal husbandry body to rear calves and for cattle feed. "The currently supplied cows are all pregnant and will deliver calves in three to four months. Each of these cows will give at least 10 litres of milk a day and that could be raised to even 20 litres. Financial support and advice will also be given to the young farmer to grow fodder grass", the minister said.

Mathew took over the barn two years ago at the age of 13 after his father's untimely demise. His brother George, younger sister Rose Mary and mother Shiny assist him with managing the farm. The siblings are now planning to set up more cow sheds and employ workers to look after them so that they can concentrate more on their studies.

Earlier, CPM handed over three cows to Mathew whereas Thodupuzha MLA PJ Joseph and Catholic Congress gifted him one cow each. Actor Jayaram and his film crew of Malayalam movie Abraham Ozler gave a financial aid of Rs 5 lakh, while film actors Mammootty and Prithviraj also stepped in with financial assistance to the young dairy farmer.