“Karnataka stands second only to Gujarat in the country in milk production with the present production of 40 lakh litres per day. The Federation has plans top the country with a target of one crore litres per day,” Reddy said here on Sunday. He was speaking at a function organised to handover the title deeds relating to the land earmarked for setting up a mega dairy in the City. Kolar-Chikkaballapur Milk Union Limited (Komul) is setting up the the dairy.
Capacity augmentation
Reddy said Komul stands second in the State in terms of milk production and mega dairy was being set up to augment its capacity.
He disclosed that it had been planned to introduce insurance benefit to milk producers and the proposal would materialise by September this year.
The milk produced in the State is being supplied to nation’s armed forces.
Supply to New Delhi is sometimes affected due to lack of transportation facilities, Reddy said. He appealed Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa who was present at the function to provide two tankers exclusively for transportation of 1.80 lakh litres of milk.
Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa suggested the State government to promote dairy farming through subsidies and incentives.
“Dairy farming provides livelihood for several families. The State Government should therefore consider promoting the occupation on a large scale,” he said. Muniyappa declared that the Union Government was always prepared to lend helping hand for boosting dairy farming in the State.
He said the Union government too has formulated several schemes for the benefit of milk producers and farmers and emphasised on effective utilisation of such programmes.
He expressed pleasure on the dairy products from the State crossing borders.
Responding to Reddy’s plea for providing tankers, Muniyappa said steps would be taken to provide them if the Federation submitted a request in writing.
Funds released
District in-charge minister Dr Mumtaz Ali Khan said the dairy was coming up in an extent of 15 acres and a sum of Rs 10 crore has already been released. The dairy would start operating in a span of two years.
The Komul president Jayasimha Krishnappa outlined the growth and activities of the milk union. He attributed the outstanding performance of the Union to the contribution of milk producers. “You may not get water at houses in the district. But you certainly will get milk,” he summed up the spread of dairy farming in the district.
Seperate dairy sought
Shidlaghatta legislator V Muniyappa said there was a necessity to set-up a separate dairy for Chikkaballapur district and urged the State Government to take up the issue.
Legislators K P Bachegowda, N H Shivashankara Reddy, N Sampangi, M C Sudhakar, Zilla Panchayat president Vinuta Srinivas, Deputy Commissioner Anwar Pasha, Superintendent of Police T D Pawar, KMF Managing Director A S Premanath, director K V Nagaraj and others were present.
