Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd (DKMUL) president Raviraj Hegde said that the union has plans to set up a mega dairy unit, an ice cream plant, a paneer production unit and a bottled water manufacturing unit in the coming days.He told reporters here on Monday that detailed discussions on the proposed projects will be held at the board of directors meeting after seeking suggestions from the National Dairy Development Board.The DKMUL recorded a total business turnover of Rs 1,270 crore during the 2025-26 financial year, registering an 8.18% growth compared to Rs 1,174 crore in the previous year. The union recorded a net profit of Rs 10.6 crore compared to Rs 12.8 crore in the previous year. The profit of the union reduced due to an increase in the incentives provided to the dairy farmers. The union provided incentives of Rs 2.50 per litre, including a regular incentive of Rs 1.50 per litre and an additional special incentive of Rs 1 per litre from Feb 21 to May 31, 2026. A total of Rs 23.9 crore was reserved for the distribution of incentives to milk producers, he explained.In addition, Rs 6.6 crore was provided as subsidies for dairy development schemes, including mini dairy units, milking machines, rubber mats, commercial dairy units, green fodder cultivation, purchase of cattle from outside the state and calf-rearing schemes, he added.The union achieved a 19% increase in milk procurement in 2025-26 compared to the previous year. The average daily milk procurement for 2025-26 stood at 4.07 lakh litres. The union currently operates through 1,781 active dealers, including 42 parlours, 91 franchises and 15 TCD outlets.Hegde announced that two major projects, with a combined cost of Rs 11.2 crore, are currently under construction and are expected to be inaugurated this financial year. These projects include a Rs 7 crore new warehouse at the Mangaluru headquarters and a Rs 4.2 crore administrative building at the Udupi dairy.
