Amid public backlash, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar directs Karnataka Milk Federation to reduce curd prices

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A Nandini milk booth at Vijayanagar in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: File photo

Amid backlash from hoteliers and the public over the price hike in dairy products, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar directed Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) officials to rework the price of curd and reduce it. Meanwhile, some hotels in the city have increased prices of coffee, tea and milk by ₹2 to ₹3.

The Chief Minister said, “I have instructed KMF office-bearers, who came to meet me on Monday (November 2), to reduce the price of curd.”

From Sunday (November 1), the price of curd for one litre, which was ₹54 earlier, has increased to ₹68, a rise of ₹14. Similarly, the price of Shubham milk and special toned milk has increased from ₹52 to ₹64.

When asked about the price variations across different categories of milk, he explained, “The price is higher for milk with higher fat contents. Officials will provide a detailed explanation regarding this soon. No one raises an objection when the price of a water bottle goes up — perhaps because the GST goes to the Union government. The increase in milk prices will provide support to 11 lakh farming families.”

Though the State government has been justifying the price rise, hotel owners and the public have criticised it, stating that the prices of curd and some varieties of milk have increased by ₹14. They questioned the logic behind it.

However, sources in the KMF said that the prices of milk and curds have been increased considering the expenditure incurred in purchasing it from farmers, the presence of fat, and other factors.

P.C. Rao, honorary president, Bangalore Hotels Association, said, “We understand the increase in the price of milk by ₹8 for one litre is to support farmers. However, the price rise of curd by ₹14 for one litre is beyond our understanding. Going by what the Chief Minister announced, the price of one litre of curd should have been ₹62. But for what purpose do hotel owners and every common man have to pay the extra ₹6?”

He further questioned whether this ₹6 will be paid to farmers or KMF. “Hotels, including vegeterian and non-vegetarian, use curd in various dishes including rava idli, lunch meals, buttermilk, raita for pulav, biryani, dahivada, Mangaluru bajji and others. The drastic increase in the price of curd has added 15% more expenditure to all the hotels,” he said.

Mr. Rao said that all the hotel owners affiliated to the hotel association would meet Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and KMF officials to request them not to increase the prices of by-products like ghee and paneer as they were recently hiked.

“The bacteria culture used in curds are of high quality and imported from West Asian countries. In the past five months, prices of imported culture have increased. The electricity bills have increased as products like curds have to be refrigerated, and petrol and diesel prices have been increased. The KMF has to give some margin of the amount to sellers or vendors in Nandini milk booths.We also need to make it economically viable for farmers,” a KMF official said.

The official also stated that the prices of curds, as per the instructions of the Chief Minister, are being reworked and would be released soon.

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