In a move intended at guaranteeing continuous supply of milk in summer, the Mysuru Milk Union Limited (MyMUL) has announced a hike in milk procurement price by one rupee from Thursday (March 16).
The procurement price has been hiked to ₹33.02 a litre from ₹32.02 a litre and as many as 90,000 active milk producers in Mysuru district will be benefited.
This is the MyMUL’s sixth procurement fee hike for the milk producers alone since last two years in addition to the hike announced by the government in November last by ₹2 a litre.
Speaking to The Hindu, MyMUL Managing Director Vijaykumar said the hike with effect from Thursday was largely aimed at supporting the milk producers in ensuring that the milk yield doesn’t fall in summer by taking all precautions, including procurement of sufficient fodder for the cattle.
“Usually, milk production drops in summer. It is because of stress in cattle. If certain precautions are enforced, taking good care of the cattle, the yield may not fall substantially. We want the current procurement of 6.50 lakh litres a day to continue at least till May 15 since the production usually goes up once the monsoon sets in,” he explained.
Thanks to the steep rise in demand for milk and its products, especially curd, the union, like other milk unions under KMF in the State, was facing competition from private players. The hike is also targeted at deterring the milk producers in the district from shifting their loyalty and maintaining continuous supply to MyMUL in summer to prevent any shortage.
“Ugadi is ensuing and we wanted to help the milk producers by way of a hike in the procurement price as a kind of gift in the festive season. The move will benefit a large number of farmers,” he maintained.
Curd production goes up
Meanwhile, the production of curd has gone by nearly 25 per cent since the onset of summer. It may go up further in April and the Union said it was prepared to meet the rising demand.
The present curd production stands at 75,000, - a rise of around 20,000 litres - with the onset of hot weather. “Our average curd production is around 50,000-55,000 litres which went up to 75,000 litres. The production may even touch 90,000 litres in April and also cross one lakh litres following increased demand. The union is fully prepared to meet the demand and ensure its supply to the market,” the MyMUL MD replied, on the steps taken by the MyMUL in summer.
The wedding season in April and May was expected to trigger a further jump in demand for milk and its products.
“There is no milk shortage and we hope the supply will remain continuous thanks to the strong network with the milk producers and the cooperative societies,” he said.
