Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Dec 31: “The Dakshina Kannada Milk Federation encompasses Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Currently, 749 associations are operational, collecting 3,40,158 liters of milk daily from 51,138 active members. The federation also has 16 veterinary offices in service. In 2024-25, the federation produced 4.01 lac liters of milk, 78,000 kg of curd, 75 tonnes of paneer, 153 tonnes of ghee, and one tonne of sweet products,” said federation president Sucharita Shetty.

Shetty further added, “Milk shortages are supplemented by procuring supplies from other federations. Within our federation's jurisdiction, due to a scarcity of cattle feed, grass, and labor, milk collection has not met expectations, resulting in lower profits. Considering these challenges, the support price for milk is being increased by Rs 1.50 per liter, effective from January 1, 2025. Similarly, the price for milk with 4.5 to 8.5 fat content paid to farmers is raised from Rs 36.74 to Rs 36.95 per litre.

“To encourage dairy farming, 600 metric tonnes of cattle feed are provided monthly to associations at Rs 7.50 per kilogram. High-quality cattle breeds are available in Erode, Tamil Nadu, and we are offering a transportation grant of Rs 16,000 per animal. Additionally, various grants such as female calf rearing support, green fodder schemes, compensation for cow theft, and cow shed destruction are extended to farmers. By the end of December, the federation expects to achieve a business turnover of Rs 870 crore with a net profit of Rs 7.76 crore.”

The event was attended by federation managing director Vivek D, vice president Jayaram Rai, Divakar Shetty Kaup, director Narayana Prakash, women’s representative Savita Shetty, and members Sadashiva Shetty, Narasimha Kamath, Sudhakar Rai, along with former president Raviraj Hegde and others.