CHAMUL beats pandemic impact, exports milk to Nepal, Bhutan
The Chamarajanagar Dist.Co-op.Milk Producers’Societies’ Union Limited (CHAMUL) has recorded 1.5 crore profit for the year ending 2020-21. The CHAMUL operating in one of the backward districts of the state since just last six years has achieved amid Covid distress. Speaking to The Hans India on Monday CHAMUL President H S Nanjunda Prasad told that Covid affected the district two and half years ago. ‘Despite our sincere efforts to prevent collapse of sales , it collapsed. But we could not stop procuring the milk in the interest of farmers’. He said if we stopped procurement of milk that would ensure more profit for the union but it badly impacts farmers who are depending upon dairy farming for livelihood.
Hence, CHAMULcontinued procurement of milk as usual but explored the export market. It succeeded in exporting milk and milk products toNepal and Bhutan. ‘If the union could not sell milk it would have been converted as milk powder. But producing milk powder is not profitable’ said Nanjundappa. The Union was formed in the year 2015 by bifurcating Mysore district milk producers union. The then district in charge minister HS Mahadeva Prasad was instrumental in establishing CHAMUL . Nanjunda Prasad said that ‘Our main aim is to safeguard the interests of the milk producers’. The Chamul is providing Rs 5 lakh honorarium to secretaries who were serving in unions for 25 years ,Rs 3 lakhs for milk inspectors and Rs 2 lakh for assistants during their retirement.
The union took this decision in its management body meeting keeping in mind that the employees of the union getting very less retirement benefits and no pension from government. He said the honorarium is being paid from farmers welfare fund.CHAMUL is procuring 2.5 lakh litres of milk daily from 458 milk procuring centres spread across the district. It has chilling centres at Chamarajanagar with capacity of 60,000litres per day and in Kollegala with 40,000litres per day, making it a total of one lakh litres per day. Also there are 79 bulk milk coolers. CHAMUL is expected to record more profit in the coming years.