Can’t even drink milk? KMF seeks nod to hike milk price by Rs 3/litre

By NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Citing the hike in processing costs, raw material, electricity and transport, Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has sought permission from the state government to increase the cost of milk by Rs 3 per litre.

KMF Director and Arabhavi BJP MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi said already, leading government milk federations and private dairies have increased the price of milk and compared to the prices of Nandini milk, they have hiked prices by Rs 8 to Rs 10 per litre. Of the Rs 3 per litre hike sought, Rs 2 will be given to milk producers and Rs one to the milk producers co-operative union, milk federations and milk vendors, Jarkiholi explained.

The KMF and other 14 milk federations had done a total business of Rs 16,440.74 crore during 2019-20 and the target for the current fiscal is Rs 19,372 crore. In the last two years, business has seen an increase by 20 per cent. In all, KMF has hopes of achieving Rs 25,000 crore business in the year 2022-23.

Jarkiholi said around 10 lakh litres of milk was sold in Chennai, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Pune and other cities.

A milk selling point had been established in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra to improve the sales network.

Coffee Move outlets
On the lines of ‘Café Cofee Day’, KMF has established Nandini Coffee Move at select places. Plans are afoot to have 100 such Nandini Coffee Move outlets in various cities from next year. Nandini milk and its products worth Rs 20 crore have been sold in America, Australia, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Singapore, Bahrain and other countries. The KMF has set a export target of Rs 300 crore worth Nandini milk and its products during the current fiscal.