The average retail price of milk in India has increased by 12 percent over the last one year to Rs 57.15 per litre. Increase in grain prices, low dairy yield, rising prices of cattle feed are behind the increased milk prices.
RS Sodhi, president of the Indian Dairy Association, told an English newspaper that ‘milk Rising prices have a direct impact on its consumption. Due to the prices, a huge gap is being seen between the demand and supply.
According to Sodhi, due to the rise in the prices, the companies have to spend more in the purchase of milk. This may put the balance sheet of dairy companies under pressure.
He told the newspaper that one of the reasons for the rise in milk prices is the increase in the prices of cereals and rice bran. Due to rising prices, farmers are not able to feed their animals adequately.
According to Sodhi, farmers are also spending more money to feed animals, which directly affects milk prices. There is an increase in Let us tell you that as soon as the winter ends, the prices of milk have increased by 12-15%. Unseasonal rains and heatwave have also contributed to the spurt in feed prices. Inflation in food grains stood at 15.27% in March.
How the picture changed after Corona
Coronavirus epidemic knocked and India became one of the worst hit in the world Got included in the country with lockdown. The demand for milk and milk products declined due to the closure of many restaurants and sweet shops during the lockdown.
India accounts for about a quarter of the world’s milk supply. More than one million farmers across the country produce milk on a small scale. These farmers also raise animals. The fall in demand for milk in Corona had a direct impact on the livestock of these farmers.
According to Jayan Mehta, head of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, India’s largest dairy cooperative corona virus the demand for milk has increased, but the prices of straw and grains are skyrocketing. India exported dairy products worth about $391 million in the fiscal year 2021-22, compared to $321 million in the previous year.
MK Global economist Madhavi Arora said this month It is written in the report that this year the demand for milk will increase continuously. Due to less production of milk, its prices will increase wildly. With the rise of summer, there will also be a spurt in the demand for ice cream and curd. Arora wrote that
The central government provides free rice and wheat ration every month to about 800 million Indians. On the other hand, the huge increase in other kitchen items is a cause of trouble for the citizens.
So will the increased prices become an election issue
Political columnist Neerja Chaudhary told that PM Modi is preparing to contest elections again in the country next year and India has the highest number of poor. Poverty is such an issue which directly affects the common citizens. Continuous increase in essential products like milk in the midst of poverty can directly affect the common citizens.
Neerja Chowdhary further said that there is no bigger election issue than poverty in the country, the ever-increasing prices of things make it difficult. It can become a bigger issue, but whether it becomes an election issue in the coming elections depends on the opposition.
Experts expect that the opposition is completely disorganized at this time. In such a situation, the chances of PM Modi winning are high. But even after winning, the government needs to reduce the prices of things.
Politics boils over milk in Karnataka
Karnataka elections Milk has become an issue. This uproar has arisen after the proposal of India’s largest milk brand Amul to sell milk in Bangalore. This effort by Amul is being seen as an intrusion into the territory of Karnataka Milk Federation’s (KMF) brand Nandini.
After the tweet by Amul, the media and social media debate intensified And the whole affair turned towards the brand from the western state of Gujarat trying to expand its footprint in the southern state of Karnataka. Please tell that products like Amul’s ice cream are already sold in Karnataka, but now milk and curd will also be sold
How politics entered milk
On April 8, Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah reached the public regarding the Amul issue. Siddaramaiah appealed to the common people not to buy Amul milk. In his address Siddaramaiah referred to Amit Shah’s statement on December 30, when he said that the BJP government wants to end Karnataka’s biggest milk brand Nandini.
Tweets, statements and milk of the three leaders. But the ruckus
Siddaramaiah tweeted that he would sell all the property of us Kannada people. After ruining our banks, they now want to destroy the Nandini milk brand made by our farmers. Tell that Nandini, a co-operative brand created by farmers on the lines of Amul, runs in Karnataka.
JDS leader and former CM HD Kumaraswamy said that the central government wants to establish Amul in Karnataka through the back door. Through Amul, BJP is strangling the Karnataka Milk Federation ie KMF and the farmers. Kannada people should revolt against Amul’.
Karnataka CM Bommai took charge
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai himself took the front after seeing the matter catching up. Regarding the controversy, Bommai said that the Congress is Doing politics. Nandini is the popular brand of the country. It should not be limited to just one state. We are working on taking it to other states. Through this brand we have increased the milk production and also increased the income of the farmers.
Understand the reason for politics on milk
Political expert L. Manjunath told in an interview that dairy farmers and their families are the outright vote bank for all political parties. In such a situation, the opposition parties of Karnataka have started fearing that if the Amul company of Gujarat becomes strong there, then BJP will get its benefit. Like Gujarat and other states, Karnataka Milk Federation ie KMF has more than 26 lakh farmers.
The reason for the politicization of the issue
Politics is continuously intensifying on this issue. The reason behind this is that the Congress and the Janata Dal Secular want to get the votes of the 26 lakh farmers who are members of the KMF cooperative union.
Amit Shah had said in a meeting of milk producers that ‘Amul and Nandini must cooperate’. Recently, Congress directly attacked Amit Shah regarding this statement.
Congress said that Amit Shah is conspiring to harm Nandini, who is considered the pride of Karnataka.
Political parties and co-operative connections in Bihar and Maharashtra
Professor Badri Narayan of GB Pant Social Science Institute wrote in an article that apart from Gujarat, in Madhya Pradesh also BJP had used co-operative society to make its grip on the grassroots voters. Badri Narayan wrote that in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP first removed the Congress leaders associated with the Co-operative Society. With the removal of the Congress leaders, the way for the BJP to come to power became easier.
Badri Narayan has written in the article that after 1990, RJD and other regional parties started contesting elections for the posts of co-operative societies in Bihar. Before this, the hold of Congress was very strong in the co-operative society. After 1990 RJD and other regional parties made their strong hold.
Similarly, the number of sugarcane farmers is more in Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar made a strong hold among the co-operative society of sugarcane farmers. After this his party NCP’s influence in Maharashtra politics increased.
How are governments formed through co-operative societies?
Political expert Sanjay Kumar says that co-operative society has become a business model in many states. Co-operative societies in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka are providing employment to a large number of youth.
The cadre of all these co-operative societies is stronger than any political party. At the time of elections, the people sitting on the big posts of these societies fulfill their agenda. This is the reason why all political parties want to establish their supremacy on this. Many big leaders including Amit Shah, Sharad Pawar have come into politics from co-operative societies.