Belagavi District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (BEMUL) has posted a record profit of ₹13.20 crore in the last financial year—its highest since inception in 1985, according to Chairman Balachandra Jarkiholi.
“This exceptional achievement has exceeded all our expectations,” the MLA told reporters in Belagavi on April 15. “It was made possible through disciplined financial management and curbing unnecessary spending.”
He highlighted that the previous year’s profit stood at ₹68 lakh, making the latest figures a significant leap. Jarkiholi credited this growth to a transparent administration, reduced expenses for annual general meetings, and the management board members foregoing TA and DA, among other reforms.
BEMUL recorded a turnover of ₹399.50 crore, up from ₹320.83 crore the previous year—a rise of around 24%. The Chairman emphasized that the profit would not be retained but redistributed among farmers and reinvested in improving operations, including procurement decentralisation, machinery upgrades, and milk by-product units.
He added that the earnings will also benefit milk producers, societies, contract staff, and security personnel.
The union currently oversees 1,002 cooperative societies, with 610 actively functioning—including 160 women-led societies. It has raised ₹622.10 lakh in share capital. Facilities include a main dairy with a 1.5 lakh-litre capacity in Belagavi, 30,000-litre cold storage units in Ramadurga and Athani, and a 60,000-litre processing unit in Raibag. Under central schemes, 39 Bulk Milk Coolers (BMCs) have been installed. The Plexi Pack unit now packs 80,000 litres of milk daily.
In 2024–25, 43 new societies were formed, with daily milk procurement averaging 2.10 lakh kg—a 22% increase over last year. The union has facilitated insurance for 12,797 cows at 75% concessional rates, disbursing ₹1.22 crore to owners of 245 deceased cattle. Artificial insemination services have been extended to 1,34,138 cows.
Product sales include 80 lakh litres of milk through the Plexi unit across local and Andhra Pradesh markets, 3.80 lakh litres of ghee, over 41 lakh litres of curd, 1.73 lakh kg of paneer, and 74,245 kg of kunda. A new 10-kg bucket yogurt variant has also hit markets in Belagavi and Goa, with 50–100 buckets sold daily.
Buffalo milk has been supplied to the Mumbai market, with 5,000 litres sold daily. In February, BEMUL supplied 2.50 lakh buttermilk packets (130 ml each) to Saundatti Sri Yallamma temple.
A cost-saving of ₹2.52 crore was achieved over the year.
BEMUL is now scouting for land to establish a ₹350 crore high-tech mega dairy near a river or dam with access to a national highway.
Jarkiholi also noted that the Karnataka government is yet to release ₹9 crore in production incentives due to farmers since December 2024.
