Price of Aavin 'premium' milk hiked by 25%, one litre to cost Rs 60

CHENNAI: Following the increase in the procurement price of milk by the State government, Aavin increased the price of the premium segment of milk (available in orange packets) by 25 per cent. The price hike will come into effect from Saturday.

According to the announcement, the price of premium milk has been increased from Rs 48 to Rs 60 per litre. However, the price hike will be effected only for the premium milk sold in the retail segment and will not reflect for the Aavin monthly milk card holders who will continue to get the milk at Rs 46 per litre. There is also no change in price for other categories of milk such as Aavin nice (sold in blue colour packets) and Aavin green magic (sold in green colour packets), in both the retail sector and for Aavin milk card holders.

Following the long-term demands of the milk producers and farmers, the procurement price of milk was increased by Rs 3 per litre for both cow milk and buffalo milk. According to the new hike, the procurement price of cow milk will be Rs 35 per litre and that of buffalo milk will be Rs 44 per litre.

Commenting on the price hike, Aavin MD N Subbaiyan, in a statement, said, "The price hike (of Aavin premium milk) is to compensate a part of the additional expenditure incurred for the state government due to increase in milk procurement price."

Subbaiyan also claimed that despite the hike, the premium milk, in retail shops, is sold at Rs 10 lesser when compared to the private milk, having the same amount of fat content, and as far as milk card holders are concerned they can get the premium milk Rs 24 lesser than the private milk available in the market.

"The price rise is effected for the welfare of the milk producers" added Subbaiyan

Milk dealers oppose price hike:

SA Ponnnusamy, President, Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers and Employees Welfare Association, opposed the price hike by saying that the price hike will be a huge burden for the public. "We welcome the State government for the hike in procurement price but it is not fair on the part of the government to go for a massive hike of Rs 12 per litre for Aavin premium milk. While the milk producers were demanding a hike in procurement price of Rs 15 per litre the hike was only Rs 3 per litre but on the contrary, the price hike was Rs 12 per litre which cannot be acceptable," said Ponnusamy, who also added that since last evening the Aavin management has locked the premium milk online and dealers could not book the milk.