Karnataka's milk brand Nandini launches its cheese in Maharashtra

PUNE: Nandini, the Co-operative milk brand of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which forayed into the state two years agao with its milk, has now launched Nandini Cheese for Maharashtra’s institutional markets - Hotel, Restaurants, Café (Horeca) industry and B2B sector in Maharashtra.

The company claimed that it now has a daily supply of about 2.5 lakh liters in the state and is targeting to get a 20% market share of cheese of this institutional segment in the state.

The launch was held in the presence of Mr B C Sateesh, Managing Director of KMF, Anand Kumar, Board Director KMF, Mr. M. T. Kulkarni, Director, (Marketing) KMF,

Mr. Narashimamurthy, Chairman Bangalore Milk Union, Mr. Mahalingappa, Chairman Tumkur Milk Union and President and Board of Directors of Bangalore Milk Union, Board of Directors of Kolar-Chikaaballapur Milk Union, in Mumbai today .

"Nandini sells about 2.5 lakh liters of milk in various forms including Nandini pasturized toned milk, Nandini special pasturized homogenized toned milk and long-life Nandini buffalo milk daily. KMF clocked a turnover of Rs 15,000 crore in FY 2019 and plans to increase its sales to Rs 25,000 crore in five years by scaling up its production of value added products. The federation aims to invest Rs 100 crore every year on both green field and brown field expansion within Karnataka and elsewhere. KMF's current procures 86 lakh liters of milk which it wants to increase to 106 lakh liters in the next three years," a release from the company stated.

It added, "The federation has invested Rs 500 crore on its expansion. KMF is looking to acquire an existing dairy plant in Maharashtra to serve its customers in Maharashtra."

B C Sateesh, Managing Director of KMF, said, “We are thankful to the people of Maharashtra for their trust in us. They value the pure and trusted products and I am sure that Nandini Cheese too will be received well in institutional sector. Nandini milk and milk products are made of cow milk and gives price advantage and good quality. Nandini Cheese is made from superior quality of cow milk and delivers uniform spread, amazing stretch and excellent shining. Nandini’s state-of-the-art cheese manufacturing plant is spread across 45 acres of land and was set up by investing Rs 600 crores giving an edge to us over our competitors."

KMF aims to capture a sizable market share in Maharashtra with the monthly expected sale of 300 metric tonnes. The brand is targeting at institutional sales including hospitality industry such as star hotels and corporate cafeterias and restaurants. The cheese is available in forms including Cheddar cheese (25kg block and 200 gm block), processed cheese block (200gms, 500gms and 1000 gms), processed cheese cubes (200gms and 1000 gms), spread cheese (plain, capsicum, jalapeno, chilli, garlic, pepper), cheese slices (100 to 750gms), Mozzarella cheese blocks (200 gms), cheese shredded (200 and 1000 gms), cheese diced (1000gms) and cheese blended (1000gms).

M. T. Kulkarni, KMF’s Director of Marketing said, “We expect to capture major chunk of institutional cheese market in Maharashtra, and we are targeting HORECA industry and B2B sector while launching the Cheese. The Nandini plant of cheese production has the capacity of production of 40 metric tonnes per day, which can be increased by ten-fold”.

"KMF is a Co-operative Apex body in the State of Karnataka set up 4 decades ago, representing 14 Milk Unions, 23759 Villages, 14444 Milk Co –operative Societies,milk producers, and is implementing all round dairy development activities. With the help of 25 lakh milk producer members, Nandini procures 84.43 lakh litres of milk daily and pays Rs 25 crore to the farmers daily. Under Nandini brand, over 86 different milk and milk products in more than 280 SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) are being marketed mainly in the form of liquid milk, curd, butter, ghee, cheese and other value added products," the release said.