Hike in milk prices: K’taka govt puts order on hold

Bommai said that a meeting with all the stakeholders, including the presidents of milk cooperative societies and senior KMF officers will be held before taking the decision.

Hours after the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) — a dairy cooperative under the brand name ‘Nandini’ — hiked the milk and curd prices by ₹3, the state government withheld the order, according to a statement from the chief minister’s office.

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said the KMF has been asked to withhold the price rise. (PTI)

A statement from CM Basavaraj Bommai’s office said that the KMF has been asked to withhold the price rise, and the CM will convene a meeting on November 20 to decide about the same.

Earlier, the order was to be implemented in the state from November 15.

Bommai said that a meeting with all the stakeholders, including the presidents of milk cooperative societies and senior KMF officers will be held before taking the decision.

As per the KMF price revision, the price of toned milk, per litre, was raised to ₹40 from ₹37, while the price of curd was hiked to ₹48, against ₹45 earlier.

Meanwhile, homogenised toned milk will cost ₹41, homogenised cow milk ₹45, special milk ₹46, homogenised standardised milk ₹47, Samrudhi milk ₹51, Santrupti milk ₹53, double toned milk ₹39 and Shubham milk ₹46.

KMF in a statement had said, the earnings from the hike will be passed on to the farmers. KMF had claimed that the hike was necessary due to rising feed and fodder costs, cattle being affected by lumpy skin disease, adverse climatic conditions among others which are impacting milk production in the state.

It had petitioned the state government several times since January this year in order to revise milk prices. The KMF members had passed a resolution in the general body meeting held in September to hike the milk price owing to pressure from all the 14 district milk unions.

The farmers have also been demanding an increase in prices for a long time saying they are incurring more expenses as the fodder and grass have become dearer due to the climatic conditions.