AMN
Union Home and Cooperative Minister Amit Shah has said that in three years, two lakh primary milk dairies will be opened at the panchayat level across the country to benefit the milk producers and make India a leading milk producer and exporter. He was speaking at a public gathering in Mandya today after inaugurating a mega-dairy in Karnataka.
The Home Minister assured the cooperative milk producers of all the technical assistance from the Cooperative ministry.
Praising the growth of milk cooperatives in Karnataka, the Union Cooperative minister said that the milk processing in the state has grown from 66000 kilolitres in 1975 to 82 lakh kilolitres every day now, the milk federation turnover has increased from four crore rupees in 1975 to 25000 crore rupees now.
He said 80 percent of the revenue goes to the milk-producing farmers. Today Karnataka has 15,210 milk cooperatives where 26.22 lakh farmers supply milk.
Under Ksheera Bhagya Yojana, 65 lakh litres of milk is distributed in anganwadis where each child gets to drink 150 ml of milk every day in the state. Mr. Shah said that both Amul in Gujarat and Nandini in Karnataka can join hands to work for the welfare of milk-producing farmers in the country.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda and other dignitaries were present on this occasion.