DKMF sets target to procure 3 lakh litres of Milk per day by 2010

Manipal, May 21 (UNI) The Daxina Kannada Milk producers' Federation (DKMF) has set a target of procuring Three lakh litters of milk per day by 2010 against the present procurement of 2.03 lakh litters of milk per day, DKMF President K Diwakar Shetty said today.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that to achieve the target well before the stipulated period, the Federation has modernized the Manipal plant at a cost of Rs One crore by introducing new pasteurized unit with the capacity to pasteurize 10,000 litters of milk per day. The plant had also been SYLO unit to store 40,000 litters milk.

He said the Federation has also taken up upgradation of Mangalore plant at a total cost of Rs Six crore to increase the capacity to 2.5 lakh litters from the present One lakh litters per day. The work on increasing the capacity of cooling system, modern cleaning system and incorporating Hazard Analysis Central Control Program (HACCP) were in progress.

The Federation, under which 20 Bulk Milk Coolers (BMC) centres are functioning, proposes to add 30 more BMCs and awaiting approval from the centre and the NABARD, he added.

He said that the Federation had been adjudged with National Productivity Council Award this year by the Union Government in the Diary Sector and the award presentation ceremony would be held in New Delhi on May 24, he said.

Replying a question, Mr Shetty said that the Federation was paying Rs 11.25 per litre, which was maximum paid in the state for procurement as against the prevailing rate ranging from Rs 8.50 to Rs 10.50 per litre paid by other Milk Federations. The Federation had also distributed a total of Rs 94 lakh in the last year to the milk producers for various purposes including distribution of milching machines to mini dairies and subsidy components in the undivided district.

He said that the Federation besides supplying 65 tonnes of pure ghee to almost all temples in the undivided district was also marketing 26000 litres of curds had now awarded the tender of supplying ghee to the Tirupati Tirumala temple this year through KMF, he said.

UNI