DKMUL will give ₹2.5/litre to 67,000 milk farmers

Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited (DKMUL), has proposed to give Rs 2.5 per litre, as a support price, to its 67,000 milk farmers from October 11, said KP Sucharitha Shetty, president of the DKMUL.
Addressing reporters here on Friday, Shetty said a support price is given to milk-producing farmers, to help them financially. Currently, DKMUL is paying Rs 29.95 paise per litre of milk, to every farmer. From October 11 onwards, an additional Rs 2.5 paise is given as a support price.
“A total of Rs 32 will be given for a litre of milk. Meanwhile, the government also provides Rs 5 in incentives to farmers,” said Shetty. He added that the support price of Rs 2.5 will be given for a short period. This will cost an additional Rs 3 crore to DKMUL’s exchequer per month. “However, there are no immediate plans to hike the price of milk supplied to customers,” Shetty stressed, when asked about price hike for milk.
Drop in milk production
Various factors, including natural calamities, have led to a drop in milk production. DKMUL used to receive 5.65 lakh litres of milk every day, which reduced to 4.65 lakh litres from July, and still continues till date. As a result, certain milk products are not available in the market, said Shetty, adding that it will return to normalcy soon. Out of 4.65 lakh litres of milk collected, a total of 3.55 lakh litres of milk goes as milk to consumers, and the rest is converted into milk products such as curd, buttermilk and ghee.
He also added that DKMUL has plans to start selling ice cream, and retail butter sales, as well as set up a girls’ hostel, to help children of milk farmers.