Milk prices in Maharashtra to rise by Rs 2 per litre from August 11
Mumbai, August 9
Milk prices in Maharashtra will increase by Rs 2 per litre for both cow and buffalo milk from Tuesday, following a decision taken by the Milk Producers and Processors Welfare Association.
The price hike is expected to affect consumers across the state as milk producers and processors revise the rates of both cow and buffalo milk. The decision comes amid continued discussions over milk pricing and measures to protect the interests of dairy farmers while also ensuring that consumers are not adversely affected by rising prices.
Meanwhile, last month, the government informed Parliament that there was no proposal to introduce a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for milk, adding that prices would continue to be determined by cooperatives and private dairies based on market conditions.
In a written reply to a starred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said milk prices are currently determined by cooperatives and private dairies, and there is no proposal to fix an MSP for the commodity.
The minister said the government is implementing several initiatives to protect the interests of dairy farmers, stabilise milk prices, safeguard consumer interests and strengthen quality monitoring across the country.
To bring more milk producers into the organised sector, the government said 36,283 new Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS) had been established at the village level by March 2026, while 31,150 societies had been strengthened. It added that 168 lakh litres per day of milk chilling capacity had been created and 76,748 quality testing devices distributed. Projects with a total milk processing and value-addition capacity of 418 lakh litres per day have also been approved.
According to the government, India produced 248 million metric tonnes (MMT) of milk in 2024-25, up from 146 MMT in 2014-15, registering an increase of about 69 per cent. It attributed the growth to measures such as breed development, genetic improvement, free artificial insemination, sex-sorted semen and in-vitro fertilisation.
The government said 17.27 crore artificial inseminations have been carried out, increasing coverage from 20 per cent to 42 per cent and boosting milk productivity by 67 per cent.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a farmer, I understand the need for better prices. The cost of cattle feed, medicines, and fuel has gone up significantly. But the association should be transparent about how this Rs 2 hike will actually benefit the farmer versus the middleman. We need accountability, not just announcements.
It's good that the government has created 36,000 new dairy cooperatives and boosted milk production to 248 MMT. But what's the use if the consumer always bears the brunt? Why can't they improve supply chain efficiency instead of passing every cost to us? 🤔
Interesting to see how India's dairy sector has grown from 146 MMT to 248 MMT in a decade! That's remarkable. But until MSP for milk is introduced, farmers will remain at the mercy of market fluctuations. Maybe the government should revisit its stance on this.
Every few months, milk prices go up by Rs 2-3. Meanwhile, our salaries stay flat. The government says they're protecting farmer interests, but what about protecting consumers? We need a balanced approach - maybe subsidies for dairy farmers instead of direct price hikes.
The 67% increase in milk productivity due to better artificial insemination and genetic improvement is impressive! But why aren't these efficiency gains reflected in lower consumer prices? Perhaps it's time for a proper regulatory mechanism for milk pricing.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.