Mysuru: “Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) should also be regulated by farmers and never have any political intervention”, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
He was speaking after laying foundation stone for construction of mega dairy at Alanahalli layout on Tuesday.
“With the sheer intension to sustain smooth flow of administration in KMF and not get hampered due to politics, I have allowed decentralization of power which allows milk dairies in the villages to join district milk unions; I have done it during my tenure as Minister for Animal Husbandry, the CM recalled, thus it has helped the milk unions to continue their associations with the leadership of farmers”, he said.
He also remembered that the excess milk produced which was not sold and processed was being poured into drainages it those days and ‘Milk holidays’ also were being announced often. Milk production is being increasing from 10 to 15 percent in a year and hence the union has proposed to build a mega dairy, he informed.
A mega dairy containing the units of processing 6 lakh litre of milk and producing 30 tonnes of milk powder in a cost of 183 crores in four years, he said. Explaining productivities, the CM said, “There is more than 5 lakh litter milk being producing from seven taluk of Mysuru and we need to utilize those productions for generating revenue. The government will aim to increase production of milk powder, curds and other milk products in new processing plant.”
Current processing unit has only 3 lakh litter storage capacity and new one will be have double quantity capacity, in which about 1 lakh kg curd can be manufactured. Besides, 30 metric tonne milk powder unit also constructed in this unit, he added.
Addressing the members of co-operatives, he pointed out that in addition to milk productions, the Milk Co-operative Societies have to focus on selling the products. He further noted, “The government is providing Rs 4 subsidy per litter with expenditure of Rs 2.88 crores to Karnataka Milk Federation. Out of 72 lakh litter total production there are 7 lakh litters were utilizing for children under ‘Ksheera Bhagya’ Scheme. There are total 945 co-operative societies were functioning in milk production and 1, 95,000 members were depended on this occupations including 350 women societies and 595 general societies. The government released Rs 48 crores for helping association those works in milk testing units”, he added.
Minister for Co-operatives and Sugar H S Mahadeva Prasad, Minister for Law and Animal Husbandry T B Jayachandra, MLAs M K Somashekhar, H P Manjunath, Mayor R Lingappa, Zilla Panchayath President Dr B Pushpavathi Amarnath, MLC R Dharmasena, Mysuru Urban Development Authority President K R Mohan kumar, Deputy Commissioner C Shikha and others were present.
