CM Bommai declines to block entry of Amul products into Bengaluru,protests grow loud

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on 30 December 2022, at the launch of a Rs 260 crore mega dairy project in Mandya district, that, if Gujarat-based Amul and Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) brand "Nandini''  work together jointly, in three years there will be primary diaries at every village level, has put the Basavaraj Bommai government in a spot. The embarrassment has come when Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is saddled with issues of corruption and dissent over the distribution of tickets ahead of the 10 May assembly polls.

Not in a position to displease his BJP boss Shah, the Chief Minister last week ruled out blocking the sale of Amul milk and curds in Bengaluru amid increasing demand from the Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) and the civil society to do so, and protect the farmers' interest. With the opposition's protest reaching a shrill, Bommai on 9 April deputed cooperation minister  S T Somashekar who ruled out merger of Nandini with Amul. On the entry of Amul into Bengaluru with its online sales initiative to supply milk at Rs 57 per litre, the minister said KMF is ready to supply it at Rs 39 per litre.

KMF Managing Director B C Satish told the media that Nandini procures milk from 25 to 26 lakh dairy farmers in Karnataka. "There is no intent to create artificial scarcity in production. Everyone knows that milk production decreases during summer. No matter who the competitor is, the KMF and milk unions under it are competent to fight it out in the market,'' he added. Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) is the second largest milk dairy in India, with over 2.4 million milk producer members and 14,000 milk producers’ cooperative societies. On Monday, farmers across the state have started protests against the entry of Amul.

The controversy began on 5, April, when the official Twitter handle of Amul posted an infographic with the caption, “The #Amul family is bringing in some Taaza into #Bengaluru city. More updates coming in soon. #LaunchAlert”. Later, social media was abuzz with those opposing the entry of Amul with hashtags such as ‘#GoBackAmul’ and ‘#SaveNandini’ on the micro-blogging platform.

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to his twitter handle on  9 April when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Mysuru for the Project Tiger event and tweeted: "It was Gujarat's Baroda Bank that subsumed our Vijaya Bank. Ports & Airports were handed over to Gujarat's Adani. Now, AMUL from Gujarat is planning to eat our KMF (Nandini). Mr @narendramodi, are we the enemies for Gujaratis?" Siddaramaiah claimed the production of KMF products had dropped following Shah's announcement to merge Amul with Nandini.

Speaking to news agency ANI, State Congress President  D K Shivakumar said: “We want to protect our milk and our farmers. We already have Nandini which is a better brand than Amul...We don't need any Amul..our water, our milk, and our soil is strong.”

Kannada film Icon Rajkumar endorsed Nandini: Kannada films icon Dr Rajkumar had endorsed Nandini products years ago. Opening a bottle of Nandini's flavoured milk at the function to launch it, he took a sip and  said: "It tastes good. You should all drink.'' 

Sources said the actor declined to take a single penny for doing the ad. They felicitated him by presenting a cow on the stage. "Rajkumar constructed a cowshed for it and every day would pay obeisance to the cow,'' sources added.

Rajkumar's son and late actor Puneet Rajkumar carried on his father’s tradition of endorsing KMF's Nandini milk in a power-packed ad, where amid a wrestling match he spots a person carrying a jar of milk. He sprints across, and grabs the jar to drink even as he is chased by others for it.

BOX Milk:  Demand is 90 lakh litres per day. Supply 72 to 74 lakh litres per dayCurd: Demand is 10 lakh litres per day. Supply 6 lakh litres per dayGhee: 1,800 tonnes per day. Supply is  1,100 tonnes per day.

Source: Karnataka  Milk Federation