Spike in fodder costs raise fears of impending shortage of milk products

In milk, around 80 per cent of what consumers pay is passed on to the farmers in the form of procurement price

The flush season for milk this year, which runs from October to March, has been unusual in many respects for all stakeholders in the value chain. Supplies have been short and milk rates have risen with rising fodder prices pushing up production costs.

The fodder shortage was caused by a drop in wheat production due to an unusually warm rabi season and also on account of a spike in demand for maize from ethanol and starch makers plus general bullishness towards growing cereals. Wheat and maize are the two main sources of fodder. Costly fodder, in turn, meant that farmers