Prices of 3 Amul milk variants increased

Vadodara: After the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the Baroda District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Limited (BDCMPUL), popularly known as Baroda Dairy, too has increased milk prices.
GCMMF – the marketer of Amul milk and milk products - had hiked prices of all milk variants by Rs two per litre with effect from March 1.
Baroda Dairy, which is a member union of GCMMF, had kept the decision pending.On Friday, the district dairy union also increased milk prices by Rs two per litre, a decision which was taken during its board meeting.
The hiked milk prices will come into effect from Saturday morning. Unlike GCMMF, Baroda Dairy has not increased milk prices of two milk variants – Amul Gold and Amul Shakti – for retail consumers. It has hiked milk prices of Amul Gold in HoReCa- hotels, restaurant and catering segment.
It was in June last year that the dairy had increased milk prices.
In the HoReCa segment, a five-litre pouch of Amul Gold will however cost Rs 300 instead of Rs 290 whereas a six-litre pouch of Amul Taaza will come at Rs 273 instead of current Rs 250.
Barodians were already paying Rs 60 per litre for Amul Gold, the price which consumers in Ahmedabad and consumers in Saurashtra are paying after GCMMF hiked milk prices earlier this month.
“We have consciously decided not to increase the price of Amul Gold and Shakti keeping in mind both the interest of consumers and milk producers,” said Baroda Dairy’s vice-chairman G B Solanki.
The dairy, however, has not ruled out a hike in prices of these two variants if the fuel prices skyrocket further. “Price of Amul Gold and Shakti of Baroda Dairy will be at par with that of GCMMF,” he said.
The dairy officials argued that against the hike in milk prices paid by consumers, the hike in procurement price paid to farmers is more.
Between 2018 and 2020, the price of Amul Gold increased by Rs six per litre – translating to 11.11 %. “In the same time period, the procurement price which was Rs 600 per kilo fat has increased to Rs 700 per kilo fat which translates to Rs 100 per kilo fat – 16.66 %,” he said.
The milk price hike will result in additional income of Rs 5 crore per annum to the dairy but the dairy has also increased procurement price paid to farmers from Rs 675 to Rs 700 per kilo fat – Rs 25 per kilo fat. “This will result in a burden of Rs 35 crore to the dairy,” he said.
The dairy currently sells 4.5 lakh litres per day milk whereas its procurement stands at 6.75 lakh litres per day. Currently, there are 1,35 lakh milk producers who pour milk at around 1,150 village level milk societies registered with the dairy.