Karnataka milk federation to double procurement

KMF may be first to see Centre’s National Diary Plan

The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) is growing fast and has been rated as the standard brand in the international market. Moreover, according to the latest survey, KMF stands second in milk procurement, claimed chairman of Karnataka Milk Federation Somshekhar Reddy.

Speaking after performing the ground-breaking ceremony for a godown at the Dharwad Milk Union near Dharwad on Sunday, Reddy said, “Two decades ago the KMF used to procure 2 million litres of milk per day and at present it procures 4.5 million litres. All efforts are being made to increase the milk procurement to 10 million litres in the next two years, he added.

This fiscal, the overall growth of the milk federation across the country is 6 per cent, whereas the KMF recorded a growth of 30 per cent.

The Union Government has taken note of KMF’s steep hike in milk procurement and has called for a high-level meeting in New Delhi to discuss the innovative measures implemented by the federation to enhance milk procurement, Reddy added.

Reddy said, the Centre is mooting a National Diary Plan by 2020 and Karnataka would be the first state where this project would be launched as a pilot.

The plan aims to set up at least one milk union in every village and empower farmers to sell milk. Compared to milk federations in other states, KMF gives the highest subsidy to milk producers, he said. The KMF, last fiscal, saw a profit of Rs 88 crore which is an all-time high.

Speaking on the future plans, Reddy said, the KMF has allocated Rs 9.40 crore to the Dharwad Milk Federation to improve infrastructure and enhance milk procurement. This year more grants will be allotted to the milk unions in north Karnataka.

Apart from this, the KMF will release funds to the tune of Rs 2 lakh each to 250 milk unions to have a permanent building.

A delegation would be taken to Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda to regularise the jobs of temporary workers at the Bellary cattle fodder unit.