DKMUL requests permanent handover of leased premises

Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (DKMUL) has urged sericulture minister K Venkatesh to permanently transfer to the union the premises it currently occupies on lease in Kulashekar.

The demand was placed during the minister’s visit to the facility on Wednesday. DKMUL president Raviraja Hegde Kodavoor said the 12.5-acre property belongs to the department, and had originally been leased to the union for 30 years. The lease was renewed recently, but the union now wants full ownership of the land.

Kodavoor said the union had also sought permission to raise milk prices by Rs 2 per litre, citing rising raw material and transportation costs. He said the increase would help ease financial pressure on the union, and that the benefit of the hike would be passed on to farmers.

According to him, DKMUL faces higher operational costs than several other milk unions. He added that milk prices in the region had been higher seven to eight years ago, but the difference was removed after uniform pricing was introduced.