Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade said that dairy farming is no more a neglected profession.
“It can prove highly profitable provided it is carried out in a sophisticated way with the use of modern technology,” said Dr Heggade.
He was speaking after inaugurating the production plant and flexi-packing unit at Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (DKMUL) at Kulashekhara in Mangaluru on Tuesday.
Dr Heggade further said that more and more people should take up dairy farming.
“It is, however, important to maintain hygiene and cleanliness. Care should be taken during artificial insemination so that good breeds of cattle are born,” he advised.
“The ghee produced by DKMUL is pure, and hence, used for the ablution (abhisheka) of Lord Manjunatha in Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala,” Dr Heggade informed.
Animal Husbandry and Sericulture Minister A Manju said that the state government has increased the incentive for dairy farmers to Rs four a litre.
“Karnataka provides the highest incentive to dairy farmers, compared to other states – Rs 900 crore is spent to provide incentive to dairy farmers in the state.
The price of Nandini milk is low, compared to other brands and is non-adulterated,” he stated.
He called upon people to use Nandini milk to support the dairy farmers in the state. “The Marketing Department of Nandini needs to become more competent.
There is need for a fodder unit in the district and efforts will be made to include the project in the supplementary budget. The Dakshina Kannada Milk Producers Union, which has 686 societies, procures 3,51,000 litre a day, is the second largest unit in the state,” the minister stated.
Speaking to mediapersons on the occasion, Manju said that he will visit Koila, where a veterinary college is proposed to be opened, shortly. Funds have been earmarked for the same and this project too will possibly be included in the supplementary budget, he added.
To a question on whether the land earmarked for construction of a veterinary college in Koila has been encroached upon, he said that encroachments, if any, will be cleared by the government.
“The price of fodder is reduced to Rs three from Rs six, in the wake of drought situation. Also, Rs seven crore has been sanctioned for the preservation of local breeds of cattle in the state and has been released to various goshalas. Dakshina Kannada district has been provided Rs 83 lakh while Udupi has been given Rs 34 lakh for the work,” said Manju.
District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai presided over the formal the programme and said that the district needs to be self-reliant in milk production. Around two lakh litres of milk are being procured from Hassan district now, he added.
DKMUL President Raviraj Hegde, in his keynote address, said that 300-tonne cattle feed was needed in the district and requested the government to facilitate dairy farmers to grow fodder on gomala lands.
Rai launched the new flexi-packed ultra-high temperature processing (UHT) milk ‘Trupti’. Youth Empowerment, Sports and Fisheries Minister K Abhayachandra Jain launched the half-litre pack of Nandini plain buttermilk. Dr Heggade launched the flexi-packing unit and the production plant. Minister A Manju inaugurated the cold storage of DKMUL. Karnataka Milk Federation President P Nagaraju inaugurated the steriliser unit.
Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLA J R Lobo, MLC Ivan D’Souza, MLC Kota Shrinivas Poojary, Campco President S R Sathishchandra, SCDCC Bank Chairman Dr M N Rajendra Kumar and others were present.