No immediate hike in Milma milk price; Expert committee to submit report soon

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (MILMA) has decided not to implement any immediate hike in milk prices. The decision was taken during the Milma Board of Directors meeting held on Tuesday.

The state federation has already sought feedback from its three regional unions, Malabar, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram, regarding their views on the proposed hike.

An expert panel have been appointed

The meeting also decided to appoint a five-member expert committee to conduct a comprehensive study on the feasibility of revising milk prices. The committee will examine various aspects, including how much the price can be increased. The expert panel will also examine and suggest various measures to take in the financial upliftment of dairy farmers.

Another key decision taken at the meeting was to allocate cattle feed subsidies according to the financial condition of the three regional unions.

Currently, Milma procures milk from local farmers at rates ranging from ₹42 to ₹48 per litre, depending on the quality of the milk, and sells it to consumers at ₹52 per litre. The last revision of milk prices in the state was in December 2022, when the price was increased by ₹6 per litre.

Milma currently collects an average of 12.6 lakh litres of milk daily from farmers across Kerala and sells around 17 lakh litres every day. The additional milk required to meet consumer demand is sourced from neighbouring states such as Karnataka and Maharashtra through cooperative arrangements.

Due to the steep hike in cattle feed and the expenses for managing livestock. Dairy farmers have raised concerns to increase the prices of milk.