Karnataka Approves Milk Procurement Increase of Up to ₹8

The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a milk procurement price increase of up to ₹8 per litre, effective November 1, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on October 29. The increase will send ₹7 per litre to dairy farmers and ₹1 to milk cooperatives, according to Gowda. The change raises the price paid to farmers from ₹35 to ₹42 per litre. The existing state government incentive of ₹5 per litre will continue, bringing farmers’ total receipt to ₹47 per litre, Gowda said. The ₹1 allocated to cooperatives is intended to help cover operating expenses, including packaging and transportation. The revised procurement rate does not establish a single final retail price. Gowda said milk unions will determine the selling price; he estimated it could be around ₹54 per litre. That figure is an expectation, not a finalized price. Gowda attributed the Cabinet’s decision to hardship among dairy farmers amid drought and declining milk procurement. He said daily procurement had fallen by around 10 lakh litres. He also cited protests by farmers seeking higher milk prices and said the government had a responsibility to support those who rely on dairy income. Farmers had sought an increase of ₹10 per...