Milk prices in Pune and across the Maharashtra dairy market are set to rise by Rs 4 per litre from Monday, 16 November, while prices of dairy products are expected to increase by up to 10%, according to a decision taken by the Milk Producers and Processing Professionals Welfare Association.
The decision was taken at a meeting held on Friday at the Pune District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union premises in Katraj. The meeting was chaired by association president Gop?alrao Mhaske and was attended by around 50 representatives of leading cooperative and private dairy organisations from Maharashtra.
The increase will apply to both cow milk and buffalo milk, the report said. Dairy products will also become more expensive, with the increase expected to be as high as 10%. The revised prices are scheduled to come into effect from Monday, 16 November.
Representatives at the meeting cited higher transportation costs resulting from fuel price increases as one of the main reasons for the decision. They also referred to increases in sugar prices, packaging expenses and the cost of labour involved in milk processing and distribution.
The association also said that the price paid by processors to milk producers had increased. It noted that procurement prices could rise further in the coming period, adding pressure to the financial calculations of dairy processing businesses.
According to the association’s office-bearers, the revised retail prices are intended to help balance the rising costs of production, packaging and transportation. They also said the increase would help milk producers receive more appropriate compensation for their output.
The price change will affect households that purchase milk daily, as well as consumers who buy products such as curd, paneer, butter and other processed dairy items. However, the report did not provide the revised retail price for individual brands or specify whether all dairies would apply identical rates.
The decision comes as household expenses are already under pressure from wider increases in the cost of essential goods and services. For consumers, the impact will depend on the brands and milk variants they purchase, as well as the extent to which dairy companies pass on the proposed increase in processed products.
The association’s decision provides the implementation date and broad scale of the increase, but individual dairy organisations will determine the prices charged for their respective products. The revised milk and dairy product prices are due to take effect from 16 November.
