Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets dairy products under the brand name Amul, on Monday decided to increase milk prices by Rs 2 per litre in major markets across the country.
An official communication issued by the GCMMF said that the price rise will be applicable on all the six brands of the milk in the markets of Gujarat, Delhi NCR, West Bengal, Kolkata, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra among other sates. The price rise comes into effect from Tuesday.
The GCMMF said that the consumer prices were revised two years ago in March 2017. There has been no change in the cow milk prices in Gujarat, it further said.
Sometime ago, the GCMMF had increased the milk procurement prices that it pays to the farmers.
It further stated that unfortunately, in the last one year, there has been a major increase in the prices of major cattle feed ingredients that has further led to increase in cattle feed prices. According to the GCMMF, for all milk producers, the milk purchase prices paid must cover various input costs such as feed and fodder cost, labourer cost, and cost of veterinary treatment, among other things. Considering the increase in the cost of milk production, all member milk unions in Gujarat have increased milk purchase price by a minimum of Rs 30-50 per kg over the last few months. The move, according to the GCMMF, will help the milk producers to keep inducting new animals.
According to the federation, the adverse conditions in the national and international markets in the last two years have also had an impact.
In a coincidence of sorts, the price rise has come a day after the exit polls predicted a win for the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
