It all began with the dairy farmers urging the Karnataka government to give them a better price for procuring milk, which is now selling at Rs 24 per litre in some places. Thus, the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) increased the prices of milk, curd and other products under its brand, Nandini, by Rs 3, giving in to the demand of the farmers.
In an exclusive interview with News18, KMF chairman Bheema Naik said poor dairy farmers were unable to maintain their cattle and therefore were selling them. “Farmers who had around 10 cows are now left with only five as they had to sell them to make ends meet. Those who have three to four cows are now left with just one. Our farmers are suffering, and so we brought this to the attention of the chief minister,” explained Naik.
The farmers had demanded to increase the procurement price by Rs 5 as they pointed out that states like Delhi and Maharashtra have fixed the rates at Rs 35 and Rs 56 per litre or product. Naik said in regions like Ballari, milk farmers are still being paid Rs 24 per litre; in Kolar, it is between Rs 26 and 33 a litre.
“The milk-producing cows need to be fed well only then we can get good quality milk. The farmers also need to spend a good amount of money on the maintenance of the animals and other facilities to ensure hygienic and standard quality milk is supplied. The price of commodities like cattle feed is also going up. How can a farmer survive if he is paid the lowest price in the country?” the chairman.
KMF further said the prices for procuring milk are the lowest in Karnataka compared to other high-volume milk-producing states such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
“If you talk about the pricing there, the milk farmers there are getting anywhere between Rs 35 and Rs 56. We also sell milk at the low rates after procuring it from the farmer at a less price,” explained Naik.
He further cited the example of Andhra Pradesh where the price of milk per litre is Rs 56 as against Rs 39 in Karnataka, a difference of Rs 17. In Tamil Nadu, it is Rs 44, milk from Amul in Gujarat, Delhi, and Maharashtra cost Rs 54 a litre. In Kerala, the price is Rs 55. “Are we not the least in the price? Shouldn’t our farmers get some benefit for their struggle?”
When asked about the financial strain that the consumer will face after the milk price hike, Naik was quick to defend the decision. “When the fuel prices were hiked to Rs 120 per litre, nobody complained. When a decision in favour of farmers is taken, why is there a hue and cry from the BJP? They are merely playing politics and their claim to help famers is just a lip service.”
According to the KMF, the revised prices of various milk products from August 1 are as follow:
• Toned milk (blue packet) will now cost Rs 42 per litre from its previous price of Rs 39.
• Homogenised milk will be priced at Rs 43 per litre, previously priced at Rs 40.
• Pasteurised milk (green packet) will now be sold at Rs 46 per litre, up from Rs 43.
• Shubham special milk (orange packet) will now cost Rs 48 per litre, increased from Rs 45.
Moreover, the price of curd has been increased to Rs 50 per kg from Rs 47, while buttermilk (200ml) now costs Rs 9 than Rs 8 earlier.
Comments
0 comment