Shortage of milk in Mangalore

Shortage of milk in Mangalore

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, April 13: Certain parts of Mangalore have been experiencing reduction in the supply of milk recently. Consumers, who usually purchase milk from milk booths, hardly get the required quantity of milk these days. Owners of milk booths say that the supply of milk has become lesser than the demand, owing to which they are forced to sell lesser milk than usual. Many consumers have to satisfy themselves with just half a litre of milk or purchase it from private companies at exorbitant rates. 

The driver of a Nandini milk van confirmed that he was supplying just three-fourth of the usual supply of milk for the past few days. When questioned, he admitted that he did not know the reason for this. The shortage of milk was observed especially after the hike in milk prices. One of the consumers observed that there was shortage of milk a couple of days before the price hike. The problem intensified after the milk prices were hiked. 

The problem, however, seems to be limited to a few areas in Mangalore. Places such as Shaktinagar and Kadri are getting adequate supply of milk. 

According to Chandrashekar Nayak, the managing director of Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd, the union can supply only 80 percent of the required supply of milk. Udupi and Dakshina Kannada require 3 lakh litres of milk and 50,000 litres of curds per day. But the local production of milk has come down by 15,000 litres because farmers have given up animal husbandry because of the rising costs of keeping cattle. The union can procure about 1.4 lakh litres of milk from local regions, 1.3 lakh litres from Hassan, and 15,000 litres each from Tumkur and Mandya and can supply only 2.6 lakh litres of milk and 40,000 litres of curds, he said.