Packaged milk price set for Rs 2-3/litre hike in WB
Times of India | 3 January 2023
By: Sarthak G
KOLKATA: Most dairy companies in Bengal have decided to raise the price of milk by Rs 2-3 within a week. This will be the third hike in the past 12 months.
The price revision is likely to come into effect across all the categories of cow and buffalo milk products from this week, according to leading players in the packaged milk manufacturing sector.
Sources said, Amul that sells nine lakh litres of milk in Kolkata and suburbs per day and is the largest player in packaged milk market with 60% share, attributed the price hike to factors like cost escalation in transportation and raw materials.
Kaira District Co-Operative Milk producers' Union (Amul) issued a notification, stating that the procurement price was revised recently to Rs 39.1 and Rs 46.2 per litre for cow and buffalo milk respectively, necessitating the hike in retail prices as well. The other major players in the milk market in Bengal are Metro Dairy, Red Cow and Banglar Dairy.
Mayank Jalan, CMD, Keventer Agro, which owns the dairy brand Metro and also produces ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk under the brand name Keventer Agro, told TOI: "There has been a sharp rise in raw material price recently. At Keventer, we are weighing various options on how to cover the costs and are trying to absorb most of the hike. However, we may have to pass on a minor hike to consumers."
Across all brands, the price hike of milk per litre will range from Rs 2 to Rs 3, according to sources.
Asked about the price rise, a spokesperson of Banglar Dairy told TOI that they have not taken any final decision on the matter as yet.
The dairy industry in Bengal - the ninth largest in the country - is split into 18 major product segments such as liquid milk, ghee, curd, paneer, ice-cream, cheese, flavoured milk, UHT milk, lassi, yoghurt, skimmed milk powder and infant food. However, liquid milk remains the biggest segment of the dairy industry.
The expected price rise of milk has drawn ire from consumers in the city. Sujata Sen, a resident of Kalikapur, said, "In August and October 2022, the milk price was hiked and it is set to go up again. Milk is an essential commodity in every household and such continuous price rise is hitting many families like ours."
Sourav Das, who runs a mobile repair shop at Mukundapur, said, "My father has tea frequently at home. He is shifting to black tea due to the rising price of milk."