By IANS,
New Delhi: Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Wednesday indicated that the price of milk would increase in north India on account of a dip in production.
“A major problem we are facing is the insufficient availability of milk, particularly in northern India,” Pawar said in his address at the national conference of state ministers of animal husbandry and dairy here.
“There is a gap of 18 lakh tonnes between demand and the current milk supply,” he added even while maintaining that the government was looking into the issue of price rise.
The minister’s statement has come as a shock for many people.
“Food prices are skyrocketing and now the government is planning to increase the milk price. It was increased in Delhi in October, and now again. This is really going to upset the monthly budget,” said Kamla Sharma, a housewife.
Added Ram Kishan, a rickshaw-puller in Moti Bagh: “I have a family of eight and I am the only earning member. It is getting difficult to feed my children as prices of flour, vegetables and pulses are already so high. I will only have to cut down on milk.”
Earlier in the day, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation, led by senior leader L.K. Advani and president Nitin Gadkari, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his 7, Race Course Road residence to “convey the concern of the people” on the rising prices of food articles.
The prime minister has also called a meeting of chief ministers here Jan 27 to discuss the issue.
The major supplier of milk in Delhi — Mother Dairy — had last October increased the price of its full cream and toned variants by Rs.2 and Rs.1 a litre, saying the drought had hit supplies.
However, prices of bulk-vended milk, double-toned milk and skimmed milk was left untouched.
Presently, a one-litre polypack of full-cream milk costs Rs.28 and toned milk Rs.22.
Prices of different variant of Mother diary milk in Delhi per litre:
– Full cream in polypacks – Rs.28
– Toned in poly-packs – Rs.22
– Bulk-vended token milk – Rs.20
– Double-toned milk – Rs.19