Rs. 300-Crore Milk Powder Unit Near Ramanagaram Planned.

The state government has decided to set up a 100-tonne milk powder manufacturing unit near Ramanagaram at a cost of Rs. 300 crore.

Animal Husbandry Minister T B Jayachandra informed the Assembly recently that the new unit would make use of around 20 lakh litres of excess milk produced in the state every day.

'Presently, the excess milk is being sent to other states to get it converted into milk powder by spending huge money. This is causing a huge financial burden on the milk federations. To add to their woes, there is no demand in the market for milk powder. The proposed unit is expected to address this problem to some extent,' said Jayachandra while replying to a calling attention moved by JD(S) member H D Revanna on the issue.

He said over 16,000 metric tonnes of milk powder is lying in the godowns of milk federations in the state for want of purchasers. In order to help the federations, the state government is seriously considering a proposal to give milk to students under the Ksheera Bhagya scheme for five days a week. At present, students are getting milk only three days a week, Jayachandra said.

Revanna demanded that the state government provide interest-free loans to milk federations and unions to clear the dues of milk producers. 'Milk federations are in a very bad condition due to the excess production of milk and lack of buyers for milk powder. If the government fails to resolve this issue on priority, they all will be shut down soon affecting over 50 lakh families depending on dairy farming,'he said.


THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS