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KMF to invest Rs 2,000 crore to replace plastic packs with tetra packs
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Friday, 30 October, 2015, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru
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fiogf49gjkf0d Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) is now setting up three tetra packing facilities at its Chamarajanagar, Mysuru and Bengaluru units. The move follows the state government’s efforts to promote sale of milk in tetra packs. The intent is to replace plastic packs because of an ensuing ban across Karnataka that is likely to be enforced. Moreover there have been extensive complaints about the stability of milk in plastic sachets. The federation is working to invest Rs 2,000 crore for the tetra pack units.
The production plant for tetra pack in both Mysuru and Bengaluru is expected to have a capacity of over one lakh litre of milk per day.
KMF operates out of its 13 milk unions spread across the state and the government is planning to extend the tetra pack plant infrastructure to the remaining 10 milk unions.
The main reason for the government to move towards adopting tetra packs is to ensure that the milk quality is sustained. There have been grievances by the public on the issue of spoilage. However, tetra pack milk will cost more. “Therefore, we would provide an option of plastic packs for those who cannot afford,” said Karnataka’s minister for cooperation HS Mahadev Prasad.
The milk production in the state has doubled from 35 lakh litre to 75 lakh litre. While the demand for milk has been 35 lakh litre across the state, the rest of the milk is used for manufacture of value-added dairy products (VADPs) like curds, paneer, sweets and ghee. With excess milk, KMF is not under loss although some unions are incurring decline in revenue generation, according to Prasad.
However, as part of consolidation strategy, the federation is contemplating to create a single umbrella for all unions. “We are likely to see all the 13 milk unions under the administration of the federation,” stated Prasad. But the management of the cattle will come under the purview of the department of animal husbandry and the milk cooperatives will be under the cooperative department.
Meanwhile, H D Revanna,chairman, Hassan Cooperative Milk Producers Society, and former chairman, KMF, observed,“The reality is that marketing of milk is getting tough for some of our unions in the state. For instance, Hassan Cooperative Milk Producers Society is looking to cater to Bengaluru market. Efforts to tap the corporate and information technology companies in Bengaluru are also on by Kolar-Chickballapur Milk Union Limited (KoChimul). This union has also planned to set up two additional cold storages at Chintamani and Gauribidanur. Further KoChimul produces 9.9 lakh litre of milk per day which indicated the need to widen its marketing reach. Moreover, this is the only union for KMF which produces cheese.”
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