Ghee supply to TTDeludes T’gana & AP

Hyderabad: Despite being among the top five states in milk production in the country and having presence of lakhs of dairy farmers, Andhra Pradesh could not get its act together in supplying ghee for the famed Tirumala laddu.
If Andhra Pradesh, despite its robust milk production and 26% increase in milk production in the last six years, is undone by the existence of numerous small cooperatives and internal bickerings, Telangana, on the other hand, has failed to provide a competitive edge for securing TTD tenders for supply of ghee. Telangana ranks 13th in milk production in the country.
Amid a massive uproar over the alleged presence of animal fats in the laddu prasadam, Telangana's animal husbandry department recently sent a request to TTD seeking an opportunity to supply ghee through the state-owned Vijaya Dairy and also expressed its interest to take part when tenders are called for to supply ghee for preparation of the laddus.
However, the high milk procurement cost of Rs 42 per litre puts Telangana's Vijaya at a disadvantage when compared to Karnataka's Nandini and other dairies, which charge only Rs 32 per litre.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams primarily sources its ghee from Nandini Dairy in Karnataka for making the laddu prasadam for lakhs of devotees thronging the temple every day.
A senior Telangana official said: "Through Vijaya Dairy, we compensate farmers at approximately Rs 42 per litre, while Nandini Dairy and other large commercial dairies from various states procure milk at around Rs 32 a litre. This pricing disparity provides them with a competitive edge even though we can also deliver high quality ghee to TTD."
Govt-run and private dairies in other states, however, reduced the procurement price (ranging from Rs 24 to Rs 36) to remain competitive in the bidding process.
Though AP boasts robust milk production, it faces challenges in supplying ghee to small-scale private dairies as cooperatives largely dominate the market. This situation complicates effective supply efforts, an industry insider avers. There is no govt-owned dairy in the state.