Bengaluru, Sep 22 (PTI) Karnataka’s cooperative milk producers’ unions have urged the state government to raise Nandini milk procurement and retail prices by Rs 8 to Rs 10 per litre, citing rising input and production costs.
A delegation of the milk unions met Chief Minister D K Shivakumar at Vidhana Soudha here on Tuesday and submitted the demand.
Shivakumar directed officials to provide comprehensive data on the increase in cattle feed prices over the past 10 years, the cost of producing a litre of milk, the quantity of milk produced and sold in each district and the volume procured by the unions.
He sought details of milk procurement and retail prices in neighbouring states, according to a statement from the CMO.
Bangalore Urban, Rural & Ramanagara District Co-Operative Milk Producers Societies Union Limited Chairman D K Suresh, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, said the cost of dairy farming had increased significantly due to rising expenses on cattle feed, fodder, medicines and other maintenance requirements.
“With the current drought situation, farm incomes have fallen sharply due to crop losses, and dairy farmers are facing difficulties because of reduced availability of fodder,” Suresh, the CM’s brother, said.
He said cooperative organisations and private dairies in several states had been continuously increasing milk and milk-product prices, while Karnataka’s unions had not raised milk prices for the past one-and-a-half years, keeping consumer interests in mind.
Private dairies were also trying to procure more milk, resulting in intense competition for procurement, he said.
Suresh said Karnataka’s milk unions currently procured toned milk from producers at Rs 35 per litre, compared with Rs 41.50 in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Rs 41.80 in Keralam, Rs 41 in Maharashtra and Rs 42.24 in Tamil Nadu.
He claimed that the maximum retail price of milk in Karnataka was at least Rs 12 per litre lower than in neighbouring states. PTI KSU SSK
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