STRUCTURE

Introduction – A brief introduction to KMF (15 words)            

Body – Explain the role of KMF in strengthening the rural economy ln Karnataka (220 words)

Conclusion – Mention a short conclusion  (15 words)

ANSWER

The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board, Ministry of Fisheries, which sells products under the brand name Nandini. It is a federation of milk producers association working on cooperative principles. Almost every district in state of Karnataka has milk producing co-operatives. The milk is collected from farmers who are its members, processed and sold in the market by the brand of Nandini. It is the second largest milk co-operative in India after Amul.

The Karnataka Milk Federation is a state-level corporation representing the Milk Producers Co-operative Societies in the State of Karnataka, a cooperative for the implementation of dairy development activities to achieve the following objectives:

• To provide a promising and profitable market throughout the year for milk produced by farmer members.
• Providing high quality milk and milk products to customers in urban area.
• Development of rural level associations as model co-operative institutions to manage the dairy activities.
• Provide technical facilities and processing facilities for milk production and provide information on modern dairy farming technologies.
• To facilitate rural development by providing self-employment at the rural level and by preventing the migration of rural talents to urban areas and providing frugality and regular income.
• Along with the elimination of intermediaries, the essence of dairy development is to establish companies that can hire professionals and operate as milk producers. Collectively, every activity of the Karnataka Milk Federation is to achieve the goal of "achieving economic prosperity by reducing the cost of production and providing healthy milk at the lowest possible price to urban consumers for maximum reward for milk producers".
• Its original mission is to achieve a social and economic revolution in every village in the state of Karnataka by building a bridge between a group of rural milk producers and millions of urban consumers.

STEP SCHEME

STEP Scheme in Karnataka milk federation constitutes providing support services for organizing, nourishing the Cooperative Societies for sustainable functioning. The process is coupled with creating awareness campaigns for the member women concerning management of the societies, enhancement of milk production by providing Breeding, Feeding and Managerial services to the beneficiaries. The programme also addresses the gender mainstreaming, health orientation and exposure of the member women to the process of empowerment in economic, social, political and legal sectors.