With Milma set to increase milk price, city residents who depend on packaged milk are caught in a dilemma. The monthly budget of the common man, already strained by the increase in food, electricity and LPG prices, will be hit further once the price of milk also shoots up.
According to official statistics, in Thiruvananthapuram district, the daily demand for Milma milk is 2.20 lakh litres. Of this, 1.75 lakh litres is consumed by the city folk alone.
Milma officials attribute the proposed revision to the rise in fodder prices. “During the past one year, we did not have any shortage in the availability of milk. This is because half of the state’s daily demand is met by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. But the situation can change anytime and if any such a shortage comes to the fore, we need to be self-sufficient,’’ a senior Milma official said.
‘’Dairy farmers who incur loss owing to the rise in fodder prices need to be supported; otherwise, they would find it hard to continue the business. The price revision would be done only after conducting studies,” he said.
But many families in the city are already thinking of alternatives. “So far, we have been consuming two packets of milk a day. Now, we are thinking of reducing it to one. In the city, we have space constraints and therefore cannot think of rearing a cow,” said Sara Sujin, a homemaker from Vazhuthacaud.
“If we had an alternative source to get pure milk, the price hike would not have affected us much. This would badly affect people like me, who have little kids at home in the city,” said Mothy Rajesh, a research scholar.
Not only households, but people who have a cup of tea from hotels too would be hit. “Now, ` 6 is spent on a cup of tea. It is certain that the price of tea would proportionately be increased with the rise in milk prices. This, in turn, may force us to reduce the number of cups per day,” said Nitin Vijay, a content writer in the city.
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