Milk prices go up by Rs 1/litre in Maharashtra

PUNE: Milk prices in Maharashtra have been increased by Rs 1/litre for the third time in the last year. This time the increase is due to hike in diesel and petrol prices. The price rise has become effective from July 11 in Mumbai and will soon become effective in the rest of the state.

"We had to increase price mainly due to the increase in price of diesel and petrol," said Mahanand dairy chairman, Vinayak Patil.

All the dairies including, Amul, Mahanand, Warna etc have increased milk price. Thus the cow milk price is now Rs 29/litre up from Rs 28/litre and buffalow milk price has gone up from Rs 37/litre to Rs 38/litre.

All the major national and state dairies have already increased prices of milk products like butter, ghee, cheese and paneer by Rs 10/kg to Rs 20/kg last month. Hence the milk product prices are not likely to go up again after the recent jacking up of milk prices.

BB Bhandare, marketing manager of the Kolhapur-based Warna dairy said, "The collection cost of milk, the cost of operating bulk milk coolers based on diesel generators and the distribution cost went up due to increase in diesel price. The price of polythene bags also went up due to increase in petroleum prices."

June to September is lean period in Maharashtra when natural milk collection goes down. But the demand for milk will go up with the beginning of Hindu festival season from the month of Shravana.