Karnataka ranks 11th in overall milk production in the country though the State is the second largest milk producer in the cooperative sector after Gujarat.
While Amul in Gujarat procures over 1.25 crore kg milk daily, Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) procures on an average 50 lakh kg milk daily.
According to K.D. Kokate, Deputy Director-General (Agriculture Extension), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Karnataka’s milk production could be increased by adopting good feeding practices. Poor quality of fodder and scarcity of water are the two major reasons for lesser milk production in Karnataka, he told The Hindu here on Thursday on the sidelines of a farmers’ meet.
Dr. Kokate said the average milk production in Karnataka was below the national average. While the common breed’s productivity was 5.97 kg a day, productivity of indigenous breeds was 2.28 a day and buffalos was 2.59 kg a day as against the national average of 6.63 kg, 2.59 kg and 4.58 kg a day respectively.
