At a time when inflation is already playing a spoilsport, the third hike in milk prices in the last eight months has dampened the festive spirit of residents as well as sweet-makers.
After the announcement of a ₹2 rise in price by packed milk giants Verka, Amul and Mother Dairy, the Dairy Complex Association, Tajpur Road, also increased the retail and wholesale rates by ₹2, while the Haibowal Dairy Owners Association raised the price by ₹2, but only for retail buyers. The price of a one-litre Verka (a brand of Punjab government cooperative) milk packet with 4.5% fat has been increased from ₹55 to ₹57.
The hike in milk prices is also set to up the rates of clarified butter (ghee), cheese and khoya, the main ingredients in most sweets.
“The price of sweets will see a rise of ₹10 to ₹20,” said president of the Punjab Halwai Association, Narinderpal Singh. “As the sales at the sweet shops had started to get back to normal after a two-year slump due to Covid, we did not increase the prices of sweets in August. But as all input costs, including transportation and ingredients, are increasing, we have decided to increase the price by ₹10/kg,” he added. He said the cheese which was earlier available at ₹360 is now being sold at ₹380.
Meenakshi Grover, a resident of Tagore Nagar, said, “With milk priced at ₹80 by dairies, a common man can no longer afford it. It has become a luxury item. The hike will put an added burden of ₹300-400 on each household and with the festive season around, the sweets are going to be a costly affair.”
Balwinder Ahuja of Ghumar Mandi said, “The retail milk supplier in our area has increased the price by ₹20 in the last one year. We have already brought down our consumption by one litre.” He said the government should make efforts to keep the prices of food products within the reach of public.
Manoj, a milk supplier in the Civil Lines area, said, “Despite the festive season, sales have gone down by over 30% and the new hike will plummet them further.
DS Oberoi, president of Tajpur Road Dairy Complex Association, which has over 8,000 cattle, said the price of cow-buffalo mix milk has been increased to ₹67 from the previous ₹65.
“Dairy owners suffered heavy losses due to the menace caused by the lumpy skin disease and added to that are rising input costs. There has been an increase up to ₹600 in the price of animal feed. Many small dairy farmers have shut down their business as they could not survive financially,” he added.
Paramjit Singh Bobby, president of Haibowal Dairy Owners Association, which has around 800 dairy farms and supplies 1.5 lakh litre of milk daily, said, “The price of milk varies in different areas of the city. In the posh areas, the rate of mix milk will go up to ₹72, buffalo milk will be available at around ₹80 and cow milk at around ₹67.”
He said the main reason behind the hike was the lumpy skin disease. “A number of cows in Punjab and other states have died, which created shortage in the milk supply. It is expected that milk prices might rise again in December,” he added.
Sandeep Singh Baidwan, marketing manager of Verka Ludhiana, which supplies 3 lakh litre milk in the city, said, “The prices have been hiked as dairy farmers who supply milk to us had been complaining of rising input costs. The procurement price for per kilogram fat had also been increased in the past.”
