Karnataka Milk Federation to sell its products through HOPCOMS outlets

BENGALURU: By mid-March, Nandini milk sachets and other Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) products will be available at Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (HOPCOMS) outlets along with KMF parlours.KMF, an apex body which is into production, packaging and selling of milk and milk products, has also entered the packaged water business.

Apart from plain and condensed milk and curds, they are also into various milk products, including paneer, lassi, flavoured milk, ghee, butter milk, ice cream, cheese, badam powder, jamoon and payasa mix, ready-to-use milk products, among others.

There are over 12,000 milk agents across the state of which 4,000 are in Bengaluru. This apart, KMF also has an online presence along with major outlets like Star Bazaar, Big Bazaar and others.  KMF has over 1,000 outlets across the state.  “We procure milk from various milk federations. After the state government started giving `5 per litre incentive, we are getting more quantity. As on date, we procure 65 lakh litres of milk, sometimes it even reaches 78 lakh litres. We sell some 55 lakh litres of milk a day. Now that we have excess milk, we make various milk products that has a potential market in the state,’’ M T Kulkarni, Director (Marketing), KMF, told Express.

However, KMF did not have enough platforms to sell the milk products.“So, we are taking help from HOPCOMS. We are signing a memorandum with HOPCOMS that will allow us to sell our milk and the products. We are providing them cold storage facility from KMF to keep these products. With this, HOPCOMS outlets will sell fruits, vegetables and milk products, too. To begin with, we will start at Bengaluru where 25 HOPCOMS outlets will be chosen. Depending on the response, we will extend this to other outlets,’’ Kulkarni said.

KMF’s OWN CHOCOLATE FACTORY IN CITY NEXT YEAR

KMF, which is also into chocolates along with Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Limited (CAMPCO), will soon have its own chocolate factory. “We have tied up with CAMPCO since they are also in the cooperative sector. We have signed an MoU with them. But by next year, KMF will have its own chocolate factory in Bengaluru,’’ he said.