“Karnataka’s KMF: A 50-Year Legacy of Nandini Ghee for TTD Laddus Undermined by Policy Shift”

Karnataka’s KMF supplies Nandini brand ghee for TTD Laddu over 50 years *YSRCP govt reverse tending policy stops supply from 2020 Patibandla Srinivas ([email protected]) Amaravati: The adulterated ghee contract allotment issue has once again pointed out by cornering the previous YSR Congress government’s sincerity though former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, then Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD)s chairmen’s YV Subba Reddy and Bhumana Karunakara Reddy and other higher officials condemning the issue and claiming no lapse from their part.

The main controversial point is why the laddu contract was awarded for the AR Foods after taking the charge by the YSR Congress government in the State. Similarly, the fingers are rising against the YSR Congress government by NDA parties as to why the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) stopped supplying the ghee. The two questions are now a point of discussion everywhere. It is an open fact that the laddu making and supply is prestigious and has sentimental connection with crores of devotees across the country. The TTD makes three lakhs laddus per every day.

The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has been supplying its brand Nandini ghee for laddu making over the last 50 years. The KMF supplied ghee with no profit and no loss basis with the respect on god. The KMF supplied 4000 metric tonnes of ghee during the 2014 to 2018. But the Nandini ghee supply was stopped in 2020 with a new tender price. As per the sources, the adulterated ghee was supplied at Rs 320 per kg for the last four years.

The State government had awarded the contract in the name of the lowest bidder. The KMF management did not participate in the process and also warned the State government about the ghee quality. Then Bheema Naik, chairman of the KMF cautioned the TTD about the quality of ghee for the mentioned price by the AR Foods was not possible. The KMF announced it is proud on behalf of farmers of Karnatama to supply the ghee for Tirupati laddu but the price variation stopped them to supply ghee. The KMF’s produce Nandini ghee has been utilised by the TTD for the last 50 years taking into consideration of its quality. The KMF has also taken the supply of ghee to Tirumala temple as a prestigious to Karnataka. The KMF has a very good track record and credibility in the milk products business. The first dairy co-operatives that make up KMF started in 1955 in Kudige, Kodagu District.

KMF was founded in 1974 as Karnataka Dairy Development Corporation (KDDC) to implement a dairy development project run by the World Bank. In 1984 the organisation was renamed KMF. The KMF has 15 milk unions throughout the Karnataka State which procure milk from Primary Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS) and distribute milk to the consumers in various urban and rural markets in Karnataka State with 1,500 members. The Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited (KMF) is a dairy cooperative from Karnataka, which sells products such as milk, curd, ghee, butter, ice cream, chocolates and sweets under the brand name Nandini. It is a federation of milk producers under the ownership of Karnataka government’s cooperative department.

According to KMF, it purchases 86 lakh kgs of milk every day from 26 lakh farmers from 24000 villages in Karnataka. It is the biggest milk brand in Karnataka and has good recognition in the states like neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa. But the then State government had selected private owned AR Foods for ghee supply has now been turned out to be a debatable topi. TDP former MLC Deepak Reddy raised this topic while the YSR Congress has a compulsion to explain the issue.