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OMFED milk to cost more

BHUBANESWAR: People mostly in urban areas of Orissa will have to raise their budget for buying milk and its associated products as the Orissa State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (OMFED) is all set to hike milk price by Rs. 4 per one litre from October 16.

Pouch containing half-a-litre of milk of OMFED, the premier milk-supplying agency of the State, will be available at Rs. 12.

“We have decided to pay additional by Rs. 4 per litre to farmers. Since procurement price will go up by Rs. 4, the same amount will be collected from the market,” said B. Mishra, Deputy General M(marketing) here on Friday.

He said the necessity of increasing procurement price arose as farmers were finding difficult to cope with rising prices of fodder. Moreover, other rearing costs of cows too went up, Mr. Mishra said.

The situation became worse during the recent floods in 19 districts, mostly milk supply areas, the deputy general manager said. OMFED authorities hoped that the milk collection price would help improve financial condition of farmers.

OMFED has 2,36,199 farmers as its member. Within a decade from 1997-98 to 2007-08, the number of farmers involved in rearing cows has got doubled.

During the same period, milk procurement has been quadrupled from a meagre 76,770 litres per day to 3,60,256 LPD. The federation has been supplying milk through 10 dairies across the State.

Even as farmers are rejoicing hearing the proposed hike of procurement price, tea lovers in urban areas will have to burn their pockets.

“We will have no option but to increase the tea price. Once price hike comes into effect from October 16, we will definitely hike the price,” said Ramachandra Dalei, who is managing a popular OMFED stall at Anand Bazar area of the city. The price is expected to be enhanced by at least Re. 1 per cup of tea, which is being sold at Rs. 3 per cup. There will be cascading impact on prices of sweets and other milk products too.

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