State's milk output up 6.2% in FY10

Karnataka’s milk production has gone up by 6.2 per cent to 4.82 million tonnes during the year 2009-10 compared to the previous year. The rise in output was mainly due to a Rs 2 per litre support price offered by the state government to milk producers.

According to Revu Naik Belamagi, minister for animal husbandry, the state government has so far released Rs 322.2 crore support price to 641,000 farmers registered with the Karnataka Milk Federation during the year. This scheme has been continued for the year 2010-11 and the state has earmarked a fund of Rs 200 crore in the annual budget, he said.

Under the ‘Amruta’ scheme, the government has extended support to 24,540 beneficiaries and released Rs 26.07 crore between 2007-08 and 2009-10. The incentive per unit has been raised to Rs 35,000 from Rs 20,000. During the year 2009-10, 256 milk producers’ cooperative societies have been started in the state.

In an effort to increase the milk production in the state, the government has also released Rs 41.8 crore under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. These funds have been utilized to provide medical facilities to cattle and dairy development.

For the year 2010-11, the government has earmarked Rs 459.4 crore in the budget for various developmental activities of the department of animal husbandry.

The farmers will be given subsidized rate of 6 per cent interest to borrow funds for dairy development, Belamagi said.