In a major setback for the common man, Amul has hiked the milk price for the third time this year. Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited MD RS Sodhi on Saturday announced that prices of full cream milk and buffalo milk have been increased Rs 2 per litre in all states except Gujarat.
With this, a litre of full cream milk will now cost Rs 63, up from Rs 61 per litre.
The latest hike comes two months after Amul in August announced an increase in the prices of Amul’s Gold, Shakti and Taaza milk brands by Rs 2 per litre. Prior to that, milk prices were hiked in March. Amul had increased the milk prices by Rs 2 per litre on March 1, 2022. Even then, the company had justified price increases by pointing to the rising cost of petrol and diesel. Amul cited rise in operating expenses and milk output as the reasons behind the move.
In August, GCMMF raised milk prices by Rs 2 per litre in Ahmedabad and Saurashtra region of Gujarat, Delhi-national capital region, West Bengal, Mumbai and all other markets where Amul markets its fresh milk. Prices of Amul’s Gold, Shakti and Taaza milk brands are increased by Rs 2 per litre.
Meanwhile, India’s retail inflation rose to a five-month high of 7.41 per cent in September from 7 per cent in the previous month, staying well above the RBI’s upper tolerance band for the ninth straight month. Wholesale price index-based (WPI) inflation, on the other hand, eased to 10.70 per cent in September as against 12.41 per cent recorded in August 2022 and 11.8 per cent in September last year.
