The daily milk procurement of Mysuru Milk Union (Mymul) has increased to 9.45 lakh litres during peak winter season this year. During the summer season, Mymul recorded its procurement at 8.4 lakh litres per day.
Both milk procurement and milk producers have been steadily increasing every year for the past four years in the union. The announcement of incentives to milk producers by the state govt, distribution of loans, encouragement, and marketing facilities for dairy products have all contributed to an increase in milk production.
Post-Covid, a large number of youths have been attracted to dairy farming to enhance their income along with farming, due to a lack of employment opportunities.
This is also attributed to the glut in milk production every year in the union. In 2022-23, the milk union registered a procurement of 8,57,782 litres of milk in the peak winter season. Likewise, it recorded 8,18,407 litres of milk in 2021-22.
In the previous year, the milk union sold 2.95 lakh litres of milk daily and 2.72 lakh litres of milk in 2022-23. Currently, it is selling 3,11,633 litres of milk through 210 Nandini milk parlours and 1,248 authorised milk distributors in the district. After selling 3.11 lakh litres of milk, the milk union is utilising another three to four lakh litres of milk to produce more than 33 varieties of milk products sold under the Nandini brand, like ghee, curds, buttermilk, sweets, ice cream, biscuits, and other products.
Though the milk union is converting the remaining milk into milk powder and distributing it to govt schools to distribute milk to students under the Ksheera Bhagya scheme, the milk union is facing serious challenges in dealing with surplus milk production as it also impacts its business activities. Out of the total 2.23 lakh milk producers in the union, currently, 1.05 lakh are supplying milk to the union through 1,205 cooperative milk unions across the district.
Speaking to TOI, Mymul president R Cheluvaraju said the milk union is also planning to produce chocolates as well as paneer-like products to utilise the glut in milk procurement. “We are planning to sell milk powder to other countries. A detailed project report is being prepared in this regard. The report will be sent to the chief minister seeking his approval,” he said.
“Though the milk union is procuring excess milk, we cannot ask farmers to stop dairy farming. Both state and Union govts are also coming up with new plans to encourage dairy farming and to create marketing facilities both at the national and international levels for the products,” he said.
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