NEW DELHI: Karnataka has become the second-largest milk producer in India, surpassing all states except Gujarat. Chief minister Siddaramaiah announced this achievement on Thursday at the launch of new Nandini milk varieties in New Delhi. The event was organized by the Karnataka Milk Producers' Federation (KMF) and the Mandya District Cooperative Milk Union.
Siddaramaiah credited Karnataka's success in milk production to strong support for the dairy sector. He mentioned his past efforts to protect milk producers from exploitation during his tenure as the animal husbandry minister and president of KMF.
"We formed milk producers' associations to ensure farmers got fair prices and a permanent market for their produce," the Karnataka CM said.
Karnataka currently produces 92-93 lakh liters of milk daily. Out of this, 2.5 lakh litres are sent to Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The state also supplies 2.5 lakh liters to New Delhi daily, with plans to increase it to 5 lakh litres within six months. To support farmers, the government purchases milk at Rs 32 per litre through the Ksheeradhare Scheme and provides an additional incentive of Rs 5 per litre.
"When I became chief minister, I increased this incentive to Rs 5 per litre, the highest so far. The state spends Rs 5 crore every day on these incentives," he added.
Siddaramaiah emphasized the importance of creating a robust market for milk products to ensure the dairy industry's growth and farmers' well-being. He also highlighted dairy farming as a vital source of additional income for farmers. The chief minister reiterated the state's commitment to further strengthening the dairy sector and supporting rural livelihoods.