Karnataka govt approves Rs 4 hike in Nandini milk price before Ugadi

Karnataka govt approves Rs 4 hike in Nandini milk price before Ugadi

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, March 27, 2025: The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government has announced a Rs 4 per litre hike in the price of Nandini milk, supplied by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF). The decision, made on Thursday, follows persistent demands from KMF and farmers’ organizations.

The sharp increase comes just days ahead of the Ugadi festival, celebrated across Karnataka on March 30. This price hike is expected to drive up the cost of coffee, tea, and other dairy-based products in hotels and sweet shops.

The move follows recent criticism of the state government for increasing Metro and RTC bus fares, along with a revision in power tariffs.

While farmers had demanded a Rs 5 per litre increase, the government settled on Rs 4. With this revision, the price of the popular one-litre blue packet of Nandini milk will rise from Rs 44 to Rs 48.

Earlier, on March 5, the Karnataka government had indicated its intent to raise milk prices. Minister for Animal Husbandry K. Venkatesh, during a Question and Answer session in the Legislative Council, confirmed that a price hike was imminent. “We will definitely increase the price of milk. The final decision on the quantum of the hike will be made in consultation with the Chief Minister,” he had stated.

Venkatesh also highlighted that the government owed Rs 656.07 crore in subsidies to milk producers, affecting 9.04 lakh beneficiaries. He assured that the pending amount would be disbursed once the finance department releases the funds. Farmers had initially demanded a Rs 10 per litre hike, pressing for better procurement rates.

Protests for a price increase had been ongoing since February, led by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and the Green Brigade. They demanded that milk procurement prices be raised to at least Rs 50 per litre, with an interim support price of Rs 10 per litre until a Minimum Support Price (MSP) was implemented.

Although Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had previously opposed the hike, he approved the decision in Thursday’s cabinet meeting, following sustained pressure from farmers and milk federations.

The last milk price revision took place on June 25, 2024, when the Karnataka government raised prices by Rs 2 per litre while adding an extra 50 ml to each packet—a move that faced criticism at the time.