Amidst the stiff resistance in Karnataka against the entry of Amul, the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KMMF) that produces Milma brand milk and milk products has raised objections to Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation (KMF) opening outlets in Kerala to sell its Nandini brand milk and milk products.
Milma chairman K S Mani is questioning the rationale of KMF objecting to entry of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation's Amul in Karnataka and at the same time opening Nandini outlets in Kerala.
Nandini opened two outlets in Kerala during the last few months, one at Manjeri in Malappuram and another one at Vyttilla in Kochi, and have invited applications for around 100 franchises in Kerala.
Mani said that he had already written a letter to his KMF counterpart expressing the concern over opening Nandini outlets in Kerala, but was yet to get any response.
"It has been a practice among the milk cooperatives of different states not to enter other states as it could lead to unhealthy competition. Milma has been following this and hence did not enter other states even when it had surplus milk. Hence the KMF's decision to open outlets in Kerala is unethical and against the cooperative principles," Mani said.
He also said that selling milk from other states in Kerala would even deny customers the opportunity to get fresh milk. Milma is not opposing selling of milk products by Amul which has been going on in the state for quite some time, he said.
With the Assembly elections approaching in Karnataka, the decision of Gujarat-based Amul to enter Karnataka had even got a political colour. Congress and the JD(S) had raised allegations that the entry of Amul to Karnataka was a conspiracy hatched by the BJP to loot the state and destroy the state milk cooperative. The row also triggered '#Amul Go back’ and ‘#Save KMF’ campaigns on social media.