Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 17: Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has hinted that it might increase milk prices by two rupees a litre across the board. It said that there has been pressure on the federation to increase the prices and that no increase in price of milk was affected during the last three years.

KMF has been approached by 14 district milk unions to hike the milk price by two to three rupees a litre. A meeting being held by the KMF board on Friday January 17 is likely to make a recommendation in this regard to the government.

Sources said that KMF will ask the government to increase milk price by three rupees a litre and most likely the government will permit it to increase price by two rupees a litre. This increase most likely to be affected before March this year.

KMF chairman Balachandra Jarkiholi, too is in favour of this price hike as farmer families dependent on dairying for a living need increased income. Moreover, price of Nandini brand of milk now stands at Rs 35 as against Rs 40 to 45 charged by other operators. The milk unions have urged KMF to transfer 75 percent of the increase if any permitted by the government to farmers. Jarkiholi has already recommended to the chief minister to increase subsidy being given to dairy farmers from the current five rupees a litre to six rupees. Speaking at a function held in a private hotel here on Thursday to release seven products including 'Desi' milk released under the brand name, Nandini, he requested the chief minister to increase subsidy to the farmers, and thanking him to have started the practice of giving subsidy to farmers when he was the chief minister. The chief minister however did not react to this demand in his address.