After Amul & Mother Dairy, Gokul increases buffalo milk price by Rs 3 per litre

KOLHAPUR/MUMBAI: A week before Diwali, Maharashtra's largest cooperative dairy Gokul has decided to increase the price of buffalo milk by a hefty Rs 3 per litre.
The rate of cow milk remains unchanged. From Friday October 21, its buffalo milk in Mumbai and Pune will cost Rs 69 per litre, up from Rs 66.
Dairies usually hike rates by Rs 2 on average so Rs 3 is deemed an exceptional revision. Gokul has increased prices six times, Rs 9 per litre in total, over the past one-and-a-half years.
On October 15, Amul, India's largest cooperative dairy based in Gujarat, had taken the lead and raised prices by Rs 2 per litre, citing higher remuneration being paid to milk farmers. Mother Dairy followed suit the same day.
Kolhapur Zilla Sahakari Dudh Utpadak Sangh, popularly known as Gokul Dairy, collects around 13.5 lakh litre of milk from within the Kolhapur district and 2 lakh litre from outside. Its total daily sale is around 15 lakh litre, of which 10 lakh litre is sold in Mumbai alone. The dairy gets around 70% buffalo milk, and cow milk makes up for the rest.
Gokul authorities claim the dairy is trying to increase collection by offering a good price to milk farmers. Accordingly, it has decided to increase the procurement price of buffalo milk by Rs 2 per litre.
Chairman Vishwas Patil said, "Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the drought in several milk-producing nations, milk production has declined. The demand for milk powder has increased. We cannot fulfil the milk powder demand unless we increase collection. To facilitate the increase in milk collection, we are increasing the procurement price. And to compensate for it, we are increasing the sale price of milk accordingly."