Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd. continues to face milk shortage of 1.5 lakh litre per day

The Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited faces a daily milk shortfall, procuring from other parts of Karnataka.

The Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited (DKMUL) continues to face a shortfall of about 1.5 lakh litres of milk per day, which is being met by procuring milk from Mandya and other parts of Karnataka, said DKMUL president K.P. Sucharita Shetty, in Mangaluru on Thursday, January 18.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Shetty said that DKMUL procures an average of 3.7 lakh litres of milk, while about 3.9 lakh litres are sold every day. DKMUL Managing Director D. Vivek said that it spends ₹1 lakh per day for procuring milk from other parts of the State, he said.

Mr. Shetty said the shortfall in milk production in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts has been since 2022. There are various reasons for this shortfall including the foot and mouth disease in cattle and farmers stopping rearing cattle due to profit and loss factors. DKMUL is taking steps to incentivise dairy farming and also reduce input costs for farmers. “We are working towards improving milk procurement to 4.5 lakh litres per day,” Mr. Shetty said.

Among the steps include paying incentives to those who grow green fodder on vacant land. Mr. Vivek said cows in the two districts need about 500 tonnes of green fodder in the four months between February and May. “We are ensuring farmers with green fodder at about ₹6 per kg,” he said.

Mr. Vivek said the Department of Animal Husbandry has offered its 75-acre land in Koila for growing green fodder. “We told that it can be taken up once old trees in the land are cleared and is made even. The DKMUL will allot space to milk producers’ societies in Puttur, Kadaba, and Sullia for growing fodder,” he said. Incentives are being given to Milk societies for growing green fodder. Fodder is being grown in arecanut farms too, he added.

Mr. Shetty said DKMUL is providing a subsidy of ₹3,500 to the dairy farmer for the purchase of milking cows. It provides incentives to farmers for opening mini milk dairies. A veterinary doctor is available at each of the 16 camp offices of DKMUL and their services are available round the clock. To address the difficulty of milk producers in distant places in delivering milk to the societies, the DKMUL has introduced its vehicles to transport milk to milk societies in Kirimanjeshwara, Vamapadapadavu, and three other places. “We have planned to have this facility in other milk societies,” he said.

Mr. Shetty said DKMUL has given incentive of ₹13 crore to farmers in 2023. The Union has proposed the State government to increase sale price of milk, he said.