New Delhi: Karnataka has emerged as the second-largest milk producer in India after Gujarat, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, here yesterday.

He was speaking after launching ‘Nandini’ products in the national capital at an event organised by Karnataka Milk Producers’ Federation (KMF) and Mandya District Co-operative Milk Union.

Recalling his tenure 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 get fair price and a permanent market for their produce,” he said.

Karnataka currently produces 92 to 93 lakh litres of milk daily, out of which 2.5 lakh litres is transported 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 State 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 one 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 five lakh litres in six months. Siddaramaiah emphasised 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 K. Venkatesh, Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy, Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, Karnataka Milk Federation President Bhimanna Nayak, Rajya Sabha Member Iranna Kadadi, Chief Minister’s Political Secretary K. Govindaraju, Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor and MLA A.S. Ponnanna and others were present.