Agents counter Aavin’s claims of Delite sale
The release stated that despite prices of fat and SNF (solid non-fat) increasing by Rs 478 and Rs 325 nationally, Aavin continued to maintain the price line by selling Delite, which was introduced on October 16, at Rs 44 a litre.
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VELLORE: Responding to social media posts on the newly-introduced Aavin Delite milk sachets not finding favour with the public, the Vellore Cooperative Milk Producers Union put out a press release on Wednesday denying all the claims about its new product.
The statement of the union mentioned that the Delite version was getting a very good response with an increase of output from 100 litres to 150 litres daily. The release stated that despite prices of fat and SNF (solid non-fat) increasing by Rs 478 and Rs 325 nationally, Aavin continued to maintain the price line by selling Delite, which was introduced on October 16, at Rs 44 a litre.
Vellore Aavin’s General Manager Sambamoorthy said, “We are seeing steady rise in daily sale volume of Aavin Delite with the figures touching the 85,000-litre mark.”
Of the 1 lakh litre procured daily by the Vellore Union, 80,000 litres were originally sold through sachets prior to the introduction of Aavin Delite.
However, milk agents and employees’ welfare association vice-president and Vellore district president VM Sankar, who differed from his claim, said, “the pooja holidays and the numerous auspicious wedding days after the introduction of Aavin Delite on October 16 may be a major reason for the indent of Delite sachets showing an upward trend.”
“Tea shops are still refusing to purchase this brand, while regular consumers pick up argument with agents citing the poor quality of Aavin Delite and continue to buy it only because it is lesser in price compared to other products of the milk major. Prices of private milk per litre range between Rs 70 and Rs 80. It is also one of the reasons why consumers continue to put up with Aavin Delite, which costs only Rs 44 a litre. Another issue is that a major supermarket chain, which has three outlets in Vellore town, sells the original green Aavin Magic resulting in consumers who purchase it demanding to know why local agents were unable to procure it when the supermarket could do so. They fail to understand that the supermarket gets its load from Chennai for sale in Vellore,” Sankar added.
Asked whether he had informed Vellore Aavin officials about this, Sankar said, “We are unable to meet or even talk to the General Manager Sambamoorthy over the phone, while lower-level officials say they are helpless due to various reasons.”