Magazine : 
Nandini Hits 10 Million Litres Daily Milk Procurement Milestone
What has been described as a shot in the arm for Karnataka's dairy sector, State-run Karnataka Cooperative Milk Federation has crossed a record 10 million litres per day in milk procurement. This is an increase from the earlier procurement of 9 million litres per day achieved in June last year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on the occasion of performing a ceremonial cow worship recently.
2019: The bounty supply of milk has prompted the government to further enhance its subsidy given to dairy farmers from Rs 2 per litre to Rs 5 per litre by the erstwhile Congress government. This daily procurement now translates into a subsidy outlay of Rs 5 crore per day, amounting to Rs 150 crore monthly and Rs 1800 crore annually.
Known for its Nandini brand, KMF has scaled its operations beyond the state to customers in Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, the UAE, and the US. Interestingly, the brand sponsored the Scotland and Ireland cricket teams in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup recently.
Hailing the growth in the sector, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, himself an Animal Husbandry Minister in the 1980s, dwelt at length on the process of consolidation that resulted in aggregation of 16,000 primary milk cooperatives into 15 cooperative milk unions. Unmindful of the opposition from a section of dairymen, he justified the minimal price increase for milk by stating that it would provide more remunerative price for the dairy farmers and consumers would get more milk quantity per packet.
He turned the tables by saying that milk prices in Karnataka remained the lowest compared to neighboring states, as a response to opposition BJP's criticism that milk prices had been increased. When asked about pending subsidy payments to farmers, he politically turned around saying the previous governments too, including that of the BJP, had pending dues to be cleared.
In contrast, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation is a leader with an average procurement of 26 million liters of milk per day, which puts the achievement of Karnataka in proper perspective among the fierce competition in the dairy sector.
The recordbreaking milk procurement in Karnataka showcases the State's robust agricultural practice. It also brought forth the commitment of the Government toward the Dairying Communities. As the Sector Continues to Grow, Sustained Efforts in Subsidy Management and Market Expansion Are Required to Further Strengthen Karnataka's Position as One of the Leading Milk Producers in the Country.
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