<p>Haveri: In a major development, preparations are underway to supply milk collected from farmers and producers in Haveri district to the Defence Department and various other states across the country.</p><p>The responsibility of operating the UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) processing plant located at Jangamanakoppa in Haveri taluk has now been taken over by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), enabling the expansion of its market network.</p><p>Following its separation from the Dharwad Milk Union, the Haveri District Milk Producers Co-operative Union (Havemul) was formed to collect and sell milk from local producers. However, due to limited market access, Havemul has faced losses amounting to approximately Rs 18 crore.</p><p>The UHT unit was established with the aim of producing value-added dairy products. Although Havemul supplied milk to the unit, it did not receive fair prices. Moreover, KMF had restricted the distribution of milk to areas outside Haveri. At one point, milk sent from the UHT unit to Prayagraj’s Maha Kumbh Mela was reportedly found to be of poor quality, resulting in the unit being shut down temporarily, further deepening the Union’s financial crisis.</p><p><strong>KMF takes over UHT</strong></p><p>Manjanagouda Patil, the newly appointed president of Havemul, had urged the KMF leadership to take charge of the UHT unit and ensure fair pricing for milk. His plea, backed by District In-charge Minister Shivananad Patil, was accepted. Subsequently, KMF officially took over the UHT unit’s management from July 1.</p><p>“KMF officials inspected the UHT plant and approved operations. Production of dairy products began on July 3, and all necessary preparations are now in place,” Patil informed DH. KMF, with its extensive market reach, will now produce and distribute dairy products made from Haveri milk. Patil added, “We will supply milk only, and KMF has promised an additional profit of 25 paise per litre. If the unit operates efficiently, our union’s financial condition is expected to improve significantly.”</p><p><strong>70k litres of milk daily</strong> </p><p>The union collects between 1.50 lakh to 1.60 lakh litres of milk daily in the district. Of this, 70,000 litres will be directed to the UHT plant. The remaining is distributed as follows: 35,000 litres for the Ksheera Bhagya school nutrition scheme, 20,000 litres for the local market, and the rest is sent to the Mother Dairy plant in Bengaluru. </p><p>KMF will use Haveri milk to manufacture ‘GoodLife’ packaged milk and other products. These will be supplied to the Defence Department and also distributed in Maharashtra, Goa, and Kerala.</p><p>An official from Havemul confirmed, “We are ready to meet the UHT plant’s requirement of 70,000 litres daily. This will significantly boost the local dairy economy.”</p><p><strong>‘Havemul branding on every packet’</strong></p><p>“The handover of the UHT unit to KMF is a positive development. Every milk packet will carry the name of the Havemul UHT unit. This will help establish the identity of Haveri milk in the market. Not only within the state, but our milk will also see increased demand in other states,” said a Havemul official.</p>
<p>Haveri: In a major development, preparations are underway to supply milk collected from farmers and producers in Haveri district to the Defence Department and various other states across the country.</p><p>The responsibility of operating the UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) processing plant located at Jangamanakoppa in Haveri taluk has now been taken over by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), enabling the expansion of its market network.</p><p>Following its separation from the Dharwad Milk Union, the Haveri District Milk Producers Co-operative Union (Havemul) was formed to collect and sell milk from local producers. However, due to limited market access, Havemul has faced losses amounting to approximately Rs 18 crore.</p><p>The UHT unit was established with the aim of producing value-added dairy products. Although Havemul supplied milk to the unit, it did not receive fair prices. Moreover, KMF had restricted the distribution of milk to areas outside Haveri. At one point, milk sent from the UHT unit to Prayagraj’s Maha Kumbh Mela was reportedly found to be of poor quality, resulting in the unit being shut down temporarily, further deepening the Union’s financial crisis.</p><p><strong>KMF takes over UHT</strong></p><p>Manjanagouda Patil, the newly appointed president of Havemul, had urged the KMF leadership to take charge of the UHT unit and ensure fair pricing for milk. His plea, backed by District In-charge Minister Shivananad Patil, was accepted. Subsequently, KMF officially took over the UHT unit’s management from July 1.</p><p>“KMF officials inspected the UHT plant and approved operations. Production of dairy products began on July 3, and all necessary preparations are now in place,” Patil informed DH. KMF, with its extensive market reach, will now produce and distribute dairy products made from Haveri milk. Patil added, “We will supply milk only, and KMF has promised an additional profit of 25 paise per litre. If the unit operates efficiently, our union’s financial condition is expected to improve significantly.”</p><p><strong>70k litres of milk daily</strong> </p><p>The union collects between 1.50 lakh to 1.60 lakh litres of milk daily in the district. Of this, 70,000 litres will be directed to the UHT plant. The remaining is distributed as follows: 35,000 litres for the Ksheera Bhagya school nutrition scheme, 20,000 litres for the local market, and the rest is sent to the Mother Dairy plant in Bengaluru. </p><p>KMF will use Haveri milk to manufacture ‘GoodLife’ packaged milk and other products. These will be supplied to the Defence Department and also distributed in Maharashtra, Goa, and Kerala.</p><p>An official from Havemul confirmed, “We are ready to meet the UHT plant’s requirement of 70,000 litres daily. This will significantly boost the local dairy economy.”</p><p><strong>‘Havemul branding on every packet’</strong></p><p>“The handover of the UHT unit to KMF is a positive development. Every milk packet will carry the name of the Havemul UHT unit. This will help establish the identity of Haveri milk in the market. Not only within the state, but our milk will also see increased demand in other states,” said a Havemul official.</p>