NIF pitches in to give milking machine a boost

The product that bagged NIFs national award for innovation in 2005 is now available in four variants.

In what could give a boost to the dairy segment,the city-based National Innovation Foundation (NIF) has helped commercialise a hygienic milking innovation created by Mangalore-based innovator Raghava Gowda. Bangalores agricultural equipment maker Suntec Agri Equipments (India) Pvt Ltd had recently signed an MoU with the NIF to commercialise,distribute and market the innovation called Milk Master Machine. The company will soon sign an agreement for three years with the innovator during which the manufacturing of the products will be done by the innovator.

As a marginal farmer,milking cows was a time-consuming affair. Since the German milking products available in the market are steeply priced at Rs 90,000,I decided to innovate. Borrowing the idea from an insecticide spray pump,I recreated the suction technique in a milking equipment which I initially sold to several local diaries, said Gowda,adding that he had already sold 7,000 units so far.

After incubating it at the NIF,we have now developed four variants of the machine that can be operated without electricity. It is easy-to-use and hygienic as the milk is least exposed to air,thereby reducing chance of bacteria in it. The machine is made of cluster assembly with four teat adapters with silicone rubber teat liners,vacuum pipe,food grade stainless steel body and can help procure between 1.5 to 2 litres of milk per minute, he added.

The product that bagged NIFs national award for innovation in 2005 is now available in four variants,priced between Rs 11,800 to Rs 38,960.

Gowda will be compensated for 500 machines every month even if the company manages to sell less than that, said Vipin Kumar,the Chief Innovation Officer at the NIF.

We will sell the milking machines through our 55 Agrimart retail outlets spread across the country that sells farm products. While our focus is on domestic market now,we will also scout global markets to sell the milking machine, said S V Aravind,Director of Suntec Agri Equipements Pvt Ltd,a leading importer and distributor of economical agricultural equipments with an annual turnover of Rs 100 crore.

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NIF pitches in to give milking machine a boost

The product that bagged NIFs national award for innovation in 2005 is now available in four variants.

The product that bagged NIFs national award for innovation in 2005 is now available in four variants.