Udupi : PWD minister H D Revanna said that dairy farming helped farmers immensely as substitute to farming.

Speaking after inaugurating the newly constructed DKMUL dairy with the capacity of 2.5 lakh litres at Uppooru in Udupi on Tuesday, the minister said that elaborate plans have been chalked out to support dairy farming.

He added that the cooperative societies prove useful for the farmers. Currently, Rs 5 is given as an incentive per liter of milk supplied to dairy by farmers.

He said that he would urge the government to hike the incentive amount of Rs 6 per litre milk. The government is mulling to ensure interest free loan to the farmers who take up dairy farming. In Karnataka, as many as 70 lakh litres are produced every day.

MP Shobha Karandlaje said that the adulteration in milk is increasing although sufficient milk is produced in the state.

She urged action against those indulging in adulteration. She alleged that the milk from neighbouring states is used for mixing, she added.

DKMUL President Raviraj Hegde said that an appeal would be made before the government to open an ice cream parlour in Udupi district. Dairy is built at a cost of Rs 87.25 crore. The diary at Manipal was started in 1976. Initially, it had the capacity to procure 20,000 litre milk.

He said that depending on the demand, the capacity was increased in a phased manner. At present, the dairy has the capacity of 80,000 litre milk.