Milk procurement prices hiked by ₹55 per kg fat in Punjab

Punjab cooperation minister Harpal Singh Cheema took the decision after meeting a delegation of dairy farmers in Chandigarh

Punjab cooperation minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday announced an increase in milk procurement prices by ₹55 per kg fat for dairy farmers.

The decision was taken after a meeting with a delegation of dairy farmers. The increase in milk procurement prices will not have any impact on retail milk prices, said the minister.

The dairy farmers, under the banner of Progressive Dairy Farmers Association (PDFA), on May 21 held a massive protest at a state-owned milk plant in Mohali, seeking hike in milk procurement prices. They had demanded at least ₹100 per kg fat increase in the procurement price. They ended their protest after the state government assured them to consider their demand.

On May 21, this price was hiked by Rs 20. The purchase price of milk for dairy farmers has now been increased from May 21 at the rate of Rs 55 per kg fat. The minister said this decision would increase the price of cow’s milk by about Rs 2.6 per kg fat and buffalo’s milk by Rs 3.85 per kg fat.

Cheema on Tuesday said this was the first time that such kind of financial assistance has been given by the Punjab government. He said more concrete steps would be taken for the benefit of milk producers and consumers in future also.

He said Punjab State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited (Milkfed) has always been offering high milk purchase prices to the producers. Milkfed managing director Kamaldeep Singh Sangha said with the latest hike, the milk procurement prices have risen by ₹105 per kg fat in the last two-and-a-half months.