Komul's ready-to-drink milk energises army jawans

 Komul (Kolar Milk Union Limited) has now a feather in its cap. The milk union, situated in this drought-hit district, has the distinction of supplying milk to Indian armed forces for the past one year.

Kolar-Chikkaballapur Milk Producers’ Cooperative Union (Komul) has the credit of achieving the task, that none of the milk unions in the State have so far accomplished. With the fete of supplying quality milk to the armed forces of the country, the district has began to make its presence felt at the national-level.

Komul had supplied six lakh litres of milk per month, during 2008-09 on contract basis. The Army, satisfied with the quality and the service, has asked the Milk Union to supply milk for the year 2009-10 as well. Not only that, the Army has invited Komul to take part in the tender for supply of milk to various divisions of defence forces, scheduled to be held in Kolkata on August 7.

Far off places

The milk produced in an otherwise nondescript district has reached such far off places as Chango in Sikkim, Silchar and Missmari in Assam, Dimapur in Nagaland, Tahang of Arunachal Pradesh  (all in Eastern Command), Sundarbani, Mohar, Kalakot, Udhampur, Talwar, Budhal, Mohar, Mender, Nariyan and Patankot of Jammu and Kashmir (all in Northern Command).

Special quality

It should be noted that the milk supplied to the Army is of a special quality.
It can be preserved for a minimum of six months and a maximum of one year under inclement weather conditions.

The milk, contained in a tetrapack neither be refrigerated nor be boiled. It is ready-to-drink, as soon as the packet is opened.

In technical parlance, the milk is called Ultra Heat Treated milk (UHT).

Seven-layer

The milk, boiled at 137 degrees and packed in seven-layer pack, is immune to vagaries of weather. Komul, thus, by reaping the benefits of of rapid advances in science and technology has expanded the territory of its operation. It is now supplying 72 lakh litrers of milk per annum to defence forces and the quantity is likely to go up in the coming days, says chief manager, Komul (Technical), D Srinath.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Srinath said that Komul is the only milk union in the State that produces UHT milk.

Increasing quantity

As much as 7,000 to 14,000 litrers of UHT milk was being produced per day after procuring a steriliser and packing

machine at a cost of Rs 6 crore in the year 1999. The quantity has now gone up to 1.10 lakh litres.

Crossing borders

Komul milk now has successfully crossed the borders of Karnataka and even the country as well. It is now available in Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Chhatisgarh, Mumbai and Singapore.

Having carved out a name on the national map, Komul, is certainly on a growth trajectory.


Milestones

* 6 lakh litres supplied to armed forces in 2009-10
* 72 lakh litres now being supplied per annum
* Only milk union in Karnataka producing Ultra Heat Treated Milk
* Komul invited to bid for tender to supply milk to various wings of defence forces
* Milk available in Andhra, Goa, Kerala, and Singapore too