Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Union Ltd. (DKMUL), which introduced cattle insurance to its limited members on a trial basis two years ago, will extend it to all members from next month, according to its president Raviraj Hegde.
He told The Hindu that the members can avail either the annual insurance scheme or the three-year scheme. The union will bear 75% of the premium while the farmer members will have to bear the remaining amount. The insurance scheme will make dairy farmers more secure.
Stating that the union has reserved ₹6 crore for the implementation of the scheme, he said there are 726 milk producers cooperative societies attached to the union in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. They had about 1.35 lakh members of which 68,000 members are active, which meant they sold milk to the union daily.
Mr. Hegde said when the union introduced the scheme, it covered between 10,000 and 20,000 animals a year till 2019-20. The union had used fund from Raita Kalyana Trust for the purpose. Now, it had made separate budgetary allocation for the scheme.
Bringing cattle under insurance would make farmers more secure in case of death of cattle. The union through its farmers’ trust gives a minimum amount as compensation to owners in case of cattle death. But the insurance cover would be more attractive.
If all members availed the scheme, more than one lakh cattle would be covered in twin districts. He said the union was collecting 4.6 lakh litres of milk daily from farmers. It converted about one lakh litres of milk into powder.
The commercial sale of milk and its products has been hit due to the lockdown as there are no marriages and functions.
