KMF Milk Suppliers: 5.85 Lakh Women Gain Strong Income Boost From Price Hike

Women make up the majority of KMF milk suppliers in Karnataka. According to Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) data reported by The Hindu on 8 November, about 5.85 lakh of the federation's 10 lakh active milk suppliers are women, roughly 58.5% of the farmers who pour milk into the Nandini network every day.

Price Hike Puts More Money in Women's Hands

Bengaluru Milk Union Ltd (Bamul) president D.K. Suresh told The Hindu that the recent increase in the prices of milk, curd and other dairy products has benefited farmers, especially women who supply milk to KMF across the state. He said the hike has given them steady income even during droughts and periods of agricultural uncertainty, strengthening their economic and social standing.

According to Suresh, many women KMF milk suppliers have told the federation that dairy income helps them repay loans, pay for medical treatment and meet household expenses. He added that it allows women to take decisions for their families and support their children's education.

What Changed for KMF Milk Suppliers

KMF raised the retail price of standard Nandini milk by ₹8 per litre and curd by ₹14 per litre from 1 November, before trimming curd by ₹2 a litre after consumer pushback. Ghee, butter and paneer prices were raised from 4 November, with a one-litre ghee sachet going from ₹715 to ₹850. Our earlier reports covered the Nandini milk and curd price increase and the ₹2 curd price cut.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar defended the milk price increase, saying it benefits about 11 lakh farmer families, as reported by Business Today. KMF has said a large share of the increase will be passed on to producers through higher procurement prices.

Why Women Dominate Dairying in Karnataka

Across rural India, dairy animals are often looked after by women. Feeding, milking, cleaning and taking milk to the village society are daily tasks that fit around household work, and dairy income usually arrives weekly or fortnightly. That regular cash flow is very different from crop income, which comes once or twice a year and can be wiped out by drought.

The high share of women KMF milk suppliers reflects this pattern. For many households, milk money is the most reliable income they have, and women frequently control how it is spent.

Consumer Pushback and Its Risks

The price hike has not been welcomed by everyone. Opposition parties have staged protests in Mandya, and in Kodagu, Nandini milk sales dropped by about 5,000 litres a day after the increase, according to reports. If sales stay weak, milk unions may have to convert surplus milk into skimmed milk powder and butter, which ties up working capital. The Hassan Milk Union has already warned of monthly losses from price pressures.

For KMF milk suppliers, the benefit of a higher procurement price depends on unions continuing to buy all the milk they produce. If unions curb procurement because of weak sales, the gains could be eroded.

Balancing Farmers and Consumers

The KMF case shows the classic dilemma facing Indian dairy cooperatives: higher prices help farmers, but they can reduce consumption and leave unions with surplus milk. Cooperatives must balance procurement prices, retail prices and product mix carefully to protect both producers and buyers.

KMF's argument is that a fair price for milk, especially in a drought year, is essential to keep farmers in dairying. With more than half of KMF milk suppliers being women, the federation is framing the hike as a measure of social as well as economic support.

Why It Matters for Indian Dairy

India's dairy cooperatives have long been described as one of the country's biggest platforms for women's economic participation. Karnataka's numbers put that into sharp focus: almost six in ten KMF milk suppliers are women. Policies that affect milk prices, procurement and payments therefore have a direct impact on women's incomes in rural households.

The key takeaway: Women make up 58.5% of KMF milk suppliers, and Bamul says the recent Nandini price hike has given them steadier income in a drought year, though weak sales could test that benefit.

Read the original report in The Hindu.

Source: The Hindu | DairyNews7x7