KMF’s Nandini ghee is sold at ₹475 per kg (including taxes) for bulk orders to TTD. This cost is inclusive of procuring milk from farmers, transportation, processing, packaging and much more.
Published Sep 24, 2024 | 8:04 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 24, 2024 | 8:04 PM
Ghee. (iStock)
The year 2023 was not the first time that the supply of ghee from Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams stopped due to pricing issues for the preparation of the Laddu prasadam.
According to information gathered by South First, KMF discontinued the supply of ghee to TTD from 2015 to 2018 precisely for the same reason. It maybe noted that Chandrababu Naidu was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh during the period.
TTD officials say these laddus are revered by devotees and maintaining their sanctity and purity has always been of utmost importance.
South First reached out to KMF, which is one of the most trusted suppliers of dairy products in the region to get some answers. Nandini is the brand under KMF, that sells “pure cow ghee” and is widely used across Karnataka’s temples.
KMF Managing Director MK Jagadish explained that they resumed supplying ghee to TTD from the past month after a directive by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to improve the quality of laddus.
Nandini ghee has been used in the preparation of Tirupati Laddus for some time now. KMF supplied ghee to Tirupati temple from 2013 to 2022 except for a gap from 2015 to 2018. Jagadish said KMF could not obtain a contract during these years since it was not among the lowest bidders.
The supply resumed in 2018 after the pricing issues were resolved and it continued till 2022, when it was stopped again for the same reason. The KMF chairman said that they participated in the tender but the contract was awarded to others due to reverse tendering.
KMF’s Nandini ghee is sold at ₹475 per kg (including taxes) for bulk orders to TTD. This price includes the cost of procuring milk from farmers, transportation, processing, packaging, and other associated expenses.
The procurement prices vary across Karnataka with each of the 15 milk unions having their unique considerations for determining milk procurement prices, taking into account factors like profit margins, expenditure, facilities, and projects.
Some unions pay as high as ₹33.40 per litre and others pay as low as ₹29.10 per litre. The milk supplied to KMF comes from 26.89 lakh farmers who are members of the cooperative.
In an eight-page letter to the Prime Minister on 22 September, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy pointed out that even during the regime of the TDP government between 2014 and 2019, KMF participated only in a few of the tenders issued by the TTD.
“In fact, it is noteworthy that during the period from 2015 to 2018 October, when the TDP was in power, KMF did not supply ghee to TTD and other private players who had participated in the tender process and were selected on the basis of the L1 bid, were the ones who had supplied ghee,” he wrote.
TTD has five major suppliers of ghee, with prices ranging from ₹320 to ₹411 per kg. These suppliers include Premier Agri Foods, Kriparam Dairy, Vaishnavi, Sri Parag Milk, and AR Dairy.
While the supply prices of different manufacturers are not clear, it was AR Dairy’s ghee that sparked controversy due to allegations of adulteration with animal fats like fish oil, beef tallow, and lard.
There were five ghee suppliers to TTD, with prices ranging from Rs. 320 to Rs. 411. These suppliers are Premier Agri Foods, Kriparam Dairy, Vaishnavi, Sri Parag Milk, and AR Dairy. However, these rates do not seem viable for supplying pure ghee.
— Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (@TTDevasthanams) September 20, 2024
Nandini ghee is regularly supplied to prominent temples such as the Chamundi Temple, Male Mahadeshwara Temple, Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, and Kateel Durga Parameshwari Temple in Karnataka and other temples in 15 kg tins.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
