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Milk prices in Maharashtra set to increase by ₹2 per litre from August 11, association cites rising cost pressure
The decision to increase milk prices in Maharashtra by ₹2/litre follows discussions on protecting dairy farmers' interests while safeguarding consumers.
In a key development for consumers, the prices of both cow and buffalo milk across Maharashtra are set to increase by ₹2 per litre from August 11, Tuesday.
This comes after a decision taken by the Milk Producers and Processors Welfare Association, news agency ANI reported.
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Why a price rise in milk and dairy products?
As the prices rise, the association explained that packaging and procurement steps are facing significant cost pressures.
The association stated that diesel prices have increased by ₹10 per litre.
It added that the expenses incurred in packaging have also increased by around 30 per cent.
The procurement price of milk has also increased.
Thus, the association has increased the selling price of milk by ₹2 per litre, according to news agency PTI. Furthermore, the prices of dairy products would be up to 10 per cent.
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Govt rules out MSP for milk?
The decision to increase milk prices in Maharashtra follows discussions on protecting dairy farmers' interests while safeguarding consumers.
Addressing milk pricing at the national level, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh (alias Lalan Singh) clarified in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha that the government has no proposal to fix a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for milk.
According to the government, the rates will continue to be determined by cooperatives and private dairies based on market conditions.
However, as per ANI, the minister emphasised that the authorities are implementing several measures to safeguard dairy farmers, consumers, stabilise market rates, and maintain quality control.
Infrastructure and processing capacity expansion
In order to integrate more dairy farmers into the organised sector, the government outlined infrastructure developed by March 2026:
Dairy cooperative societies: 36,283 new village-level societies were established, and 31,150 societies were strengthened.
Quality assurance: 168 lakh litres per day of milk chilling capacity were created, and the distribution of 76,748 quality testing devices.
Processing capabilities: Projects with a milk processing and value-addition capacity of 418 lakh litres per day have also been approved.
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India's milk production
India produced 248 million metric tonnes (MMT) of milk in 2024-25, up from 146 MMT in 2014-15, registering an increase of about 69 per cent, according to the government.
The government attributed this expansion to livestock initiatives, including breed development, genetic improvement, free artificial insemination (AI), sex-sorted semen, and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).
