Bengaluru: In a big boost to the dairy sector, Karnataka Co-operative Milk Producers’ Federation has defied the traditional summer slump and recorded a daily milk collection of over 1 crore litres a day since April this year.Milk procurement in the state drops to 85 lakh to 90 lakh litres a day during summer. Until Jan-Feb this year, the daily input was between 1.05 cr and 1.1 crore litres. In summer of 2025, KMF received an average of 80-85 lakh litres of milk a dayThis year, the state experienced one of the harsh summers in recent years, with soaring temperatures and prolonged dry conditions gripping several districts over the past three months.KMF managing director Shivaswamy B said a strategic mix of lucrative pricing, timely govt incentives and early monsoon showers helped milk production cross the one-crore-litres-a-day mark.“We’ve maintained an increased price rate for our farmers. Average procurement price stands at Rs 34.5 per litre. Along with state govt’s Ksheera Dhaare incentive of Rs 5 per litre, farmers are receiving around Rs 40 per litre,” he said.Milk production during summer is pulled down by heat stress among the cattle and fodder shortage. KMF crossed the 1.06-crore-litre milestone on May 25 this year — a month early — against June 21 in 2025.April 2026 saw daily milk procurement averaging at 1.02–1.03 crore litres. It rose to 1.04 crore litres in May. The federation also set new seasonal records twice this year: Touching 1.06 crore litres on April 21 and 1.08 crore on May 20 — an all-time summer high for KMF.Officials said key contributors to this surge include Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru South (Ramanagara) and Hassan unions. Peak daily collection is now projected to touch 1.2 crore litres later in 2026.KMF’s 10-day payment cycle — followed by most of its 15–16 milk unions — has further strengthened rural confidence and ensured steady supply.Nandini demand upThe production surge has been matched by rising demand for KMF’s flagship Nandini products across Karnataka and other states. In Delhi, daily Nandini milk sales have climbed to 30,000 to 40,000 litres, surpassing 2025 figures. Curd sales have risen by 30%, while curd and buttermilk together registered a 14% growth over last year.Heatwave conditions — with Delhi touching a high of 44C — have driven strong consumption of dairy-based refreshments, with ice cream sales surging 30%, particularly in Mumbai, Kerala, Delhi and other major markets.KMF’s ghee, paneer and butter have also recorded a 5% growth, while its out-of-state operations have expanded by 10%, covering Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Vidarbha and Chennai.With regular milk sales rising steadily by 3% overall, KMF’s dual strategy of farmer support and aggressive market expansion is reinforcing Nandini’s position as one of India’s leading dairy brands.
