With summers setting in, Mother Diary, Amul increase milk prices

Just days before Holi, Mother Diary today raised prices of milk across all its variants by Rs 2 per litre because of increase in purchasing price.

According to an official statement issued by the Company, it has been compelled to raise milk prices in Delhi and NCR because of significant increase in raw milk purchase price.

"Since the last hike in milk prices in July 2016, consumer milk prices have been retained despite significant increase in raw milk purchase prices," Mother Diary said.

It added that milk prices, which in a normal year comes down during winter months, have gone up substantially.

"The company believes in giving competitive and remunerative price to the farmer to ensure sustainability of dairying and availability of safe milk for consumers. Pertinent to note that Mother Dairy passes close to 80 per cent of the sales realization from milk towards the procurement of milk," the company said.

Mother Dairy, commissioned in 1974 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), sells more than 30 lakh litres of milk per day in Delhi-NCR.

Earlier, Amul also raised its milk prices from today by Rs 1 for a half-litre pack and Rs 2 for a litre.

With this, prices of basic toned Amul milk will touch Rs 41 a litre and Rs 21 for a half-litre packet. The high fat variety of the brand will cost Rs 52 a litre.

The increase comes eight months after the previous hike and just like Mother Diary is meant to pass on the increase in procurement rates.

Prior to the increase in 2016, Amul had hiked prices over two years ago.