THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Milma has decided to raise milk prices by Rs 4 per litre, but dairy farmers waiting for immediate relief will have to wait longer as the cooperative has left the implementation date hanging.
The Board of Directors approved the hike at its meeting on Wednesday, formalising a recommendation that the government had recently cleared. However, Milma chairman and managing director K S Mani said the exact date of implementation would only be decided after the current election code of conduct ends, adding that the incoming governing body under the new government would take the final call.
The uncertainty drew a sharp response from members of the Ernakulam Regional Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union, who had been pressing for immediate implementation. They walked out of the board meeting in protest.
The decision comes after a prolonged tussle between Milma and the government. The cooperative had originally sought a hike of between Rs 4 and Rs 6 per litre, with regional unions arguing that rising costs of cattle feed, labour, and essentials, combined with falling milk output during summer, had pushed dairy farmers into a serious crisis.
The government had initially blocked the increase citing election timing, triggering public protests including a demonstration by the Ernakulam Regional Union at Milma headquarters. It eventually relented and granted permission following persistent pressure.