Mangalore,June01:Milk producers in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts supplied 7.18 cr litres of milk in 2011-12.
Speaking at a function to celebrate ‘World Milk Day', organised by the
Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd, Mr Raviraj
Hegde, its president, said that around 43,000 families in these two
districts supplied 7.18 crore litres of milk to the cooperative in
2011-12. They have been paid Rs 149 crore in 2011-12.
The average milk production in these two districts is around 2.27 lakh
litres a day. In spite of this, the Union is bringing around 1.5 lakh
litres a day of milk from the neighbouring districts, he said.
Dr Ravikumar Kakade, managing director of Dakshina Kannada Cooperative
Milk Producers' Union Ltd, said that cooperatives have played a major
role in the growth of milk sector in Karnataka.
Apart from providing livelihood to around 43,000 families in rural
areas, the Dakshina Kannada milk union provides direct and indirect jobs
to around 7,700 people in these two districts. He asked farmers to
bring down the cost of production of milk. 
All the milk unions in Karnataka put together produce around 52 lakh
litres of milk a day. Of this, nearly 37 lakh litres a day are used for
daily consumption. The rest is being used in the manufacture of products
such as butter and milk powder, he added.
Mr Seetharama Rai, director of the Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk
Producers' Union Ltd, inaugurated the ‘World Milk Day' celebrations in
Mangalore.