BENGALURU: The soaring temperatures have helped Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) with its Nandini brand break its own records by selling 16.5 lakh litres of curd and 51 lakh litres of milk in single-day sales. Not just the staple products, but ice creams have also seen an uptick in sales with a 40% increase from last year, the highest ever for KMF.
MK Jagadish, Managing Director of KMF, told TNIE that heat is one of the reasons, while during April — particularly between April 9 and 15 — festivals such as Ugadi, Ram Navami and Eid-ul-Fitr came one after the other. “This time, we have made improvements in the curd culture and are seeing that curd packets are flying off the shelf immediately. Usually, the cooperative supplies products twice a day. But given the demand in some areas, products have been supplied thrice,” Jagadish said.
KMF has made several supply-chain improvements given the increasing temperatures and ramped up the functioning and maintenance of cold storages in the state, he said.
Scorching summer: KMF’s ice cream sales up by 40%
Nandini milk sales earlier did not cross 44 lakh litres. But this year, the sales spiked to 48 lakh litres in a day. Similar was the case with curd and buttermilk. From single-digit highest sales between 8 and 8.5 lakh litres per day, KMF witnessed a doubling of numbers this year. “This month, we hit two milestones with curd sales. In the first week, we recorded 11.5 lakh litres and within five days, the number rose to 16.5 lakh litres, making Nandini a preferred brand,” he said.
KMF saw its highest-ever ice cream sales. “The ice cream sales are up by 40% and constantly improving. In February, we anticipated a hot summer in the state, so we wanted to be prepared with sufficient supply. Ice creams have a shelf-life of over a year. We decided to start production early. With regard to other decisions, meetings began back in November last,” Jagadish said. This year, especially this quarter, KMF is expecting a good revenue rate and is looking forward to launching a whey-based summer drink soon.