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Karnataka has emerged as the second-largest milk producer in India after Gujarat, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced at a special event in New Delhi on Thursday.
The Chief Minister was speaking at the launch of new varieties of Nandini milk, organized by the Karnataka Milk Producers' Federation (KMF) and Mandya District Cooperative Milk Union. He credited the state's success to the strong support given to the dairy sector. Recalling his time as the Animal Husbandry Minister and President of KMF, Siddaramaiah said that his efforts focused on protecting milk producers from exploitation. "We formed milk producers' associations to ensure farmers got fair prices and a permanent market for their produce," the Karnataka CM said. Karnataka currently produces 92-93 lakh litres of milk daily, out of which 2.5 lakh litres are sent to Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Through the Ksheeradhare Scheme, milk is purchased at Rs 32 per litre, with an additional Rs 5 per litre incentive given by the government. "When I became Chief Minister, I increased this incentive to Rs 5 per litre, the highest so far. The state spends Rs 5 crore every day on these incentives," he added. The state's 16 milk unions produce about 1 crore litres of milk daily. Karnataka has started supplying 2.5 lakh litres of milk daily to New Delhi, with plans to increase this to 5 lakh litres in six months. Siddaramaiah emphasized that creating a strong market for milk products is crucial for the growth of the dairy industry and the well-being of farmers. The Chief Minister underlined the importance of dairy farming as an additional source of income for farmers. He expressed the state's commitment to strengthening the dairy sector and supporting rural livelihoods. Animal Husbandry and Sericulture Minister Venkatesh, Agriculture Minister Cheluvarayaswamy, Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, Karnataka Milk Federation President Bhimanna Nayak, Rajya Sabha Member Iranna Karadi, Chief Minister's Political Secretary Govindaraju, Chief Minister's Legal Advisor Ponnanna, Mandya Milk Federation President, and other dignitaries were present. (ANI)
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