Karnataka - Mangalore   

Dairy farming in Dakshina Kannada poised for growth

Special Correspondent

Milk production likely to cross two lakh litres a day

MANGALORE: Ever since the cooperative movement was started in Japan, Indian farmers, weavers and rural-based micro economic activists have been observing the development of Japanese farmers with awe. The cooperative movement began in India in 1902 thanks to the efforts of veteran cooperative leaders such as Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Molahalli Shiva Rao and various others who were inspired by the Gandhian school of economics took control of the co-operative scene in every sphere.

Today the country has over 5 lakh cooperative institutions and 21 crore members. The largest ever in the world and the largest economic group in the rural sector.

Dakshina Kananda district is known for its development in sectors such as banking and education. However, the latest entrant in the list is dairy farming. In less than 20 years the district has become the second in dairy development in the State, only after Bangalore.

Thanks to the sustained efforts of cooperative and private enterprises, farmers in the district are paid the highest for a litre of milk compared to eleven other cooperative milk federations in the State.

Cooperatives

The sector is poised to make a leap as it gears up to cross a production level of 2 lakh litres a day. All this would not have been possible had diehard cooperatives not taken initiative in dairy development.

The district was considered unsuitable for dairy development by the National Dairy Development Board in 1980. But all that have come during the last twenty years bringing the activities under the organised sector.

President of the Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Niranjan says the dairy industry has made a turn-around in the district and financial figures are proof of it. And at this juncture when the district was going into higher production the time would not have been more apt to have processing centres, cold chain and value addition production line in the dairy he added.

He attributed the growth to the perseverance of cooperative leaders and the efforts of dairy farmers in the district.

With the strong base of over 330 milk societies and over 60,000 members, the district is enriched by the entry of the private sector dairy units such as Srikrishna and Hatsun Dairies of Tamil Nadu bringing a range of products into the district.

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