Covid effect: Milk procurement stalled in 23 societies

With Covid spreading fast in rural areas of Hassan district, the Health department has issued directions not to procure milk from the villages reporting high cases, for the next 10 days.

As a result, around 23 milk producers cooperative societies of the district, have stopped procuring milk from dairy farmers.

This has come as a blow to hundreds of families depending on dairy farming. They are left with litres of milk, as they cannot supply it to the societies. Though they are utilising the milk to prepare buttermilk, curds and butter, they are still left with surplus milk.

The societies in 23 villages, including Hagare of Belur taluk, Chinnenahalli in Channarayapatna and Kyanahalli in Sakleshpur, have been closed.

Hassan Milk Union Limited (Hamul) Managing Director Gopalaiah said that Hassan Milk Union collects 11.5 lakh litres of milk every day. Milk procurement has been stopped at villages where positive cases have been reported.

The Health department has directed not to procure milk from these village for 10 days. As the decision will affect dairy farmers, we have decided to reduce it to five days. The dairies are totally sanitised, he added.