Milk production touches a crore litre a day in Karnataka

BENGALURU: The milk production in Karnataka touched a crore litre a day, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah while the milk production in the State stood at 90 lakh litre a day in previous June.

Over the increase in milk production, Siddaramaiah termed “It a milestone in the history of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), a subsidiary of the State Government.”

The surplus milk production in the State has made KMF increase the milk quantity by 50 ml on half a litre and also on a litre of milk and accordingly announced milk price hike by Rs 2 for every half a litre and also on a litre of milk. The move of the KMF is to help milk producers, said the Chief Minister.

“We cannot stop purchasing milk from milk producers,” said the Chief Minister and in order to sell the surplus milk production, KMF decided to give extra 50 ml of milk to customers and accordingly hiked milk prices by Rs 2.

Criticising the leaders of Opposition parties for lacking proper understanding of the milk price hike, Siddaramaiah explained milk producers avail Rs 5 crore a day as subsidy from the State Government and it comes to about Rs 1,800 crore a year.

In case of a rise in milk prices, the Chief Minister said milk producers will be benefitted while consumers will have to bear the burden and stated that BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition R. Ashok has no idea of the facts.

Even after the hike in milk prices by Rs 2 in Karnataka, Chief Minister said milk prices remain less than other States and stated KMF functions having about 16,000 milk dairies, 15 Milk Unions and mother dairies.

He recalled his earlier tenure as Minister for Animal Husbandry and then he brought Milk Unions and dairies together and until then milk unions and dairies functioned separately.