Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Ltd (Omfed) has increased milk prices by around Rs 4 per litre from Sunday. Now a litre of toned milk will cost Rs 54, premium milk Rs 58, gold milk Rs 60 and gold plus Rs 64.Vijay Amruta Kulange, the managing director of Omfed, said the Omfed plant at Arilo runs on gas. “The prices of gas and raw materials have increased, apart from the transportation cost, while farmers were also demanding a hike in milk collection price. All these factors prompted us to increase the price,” Kulange added.“The hike is a result of an increase in the cost of transportation and processing of milk at the plant. Besides, we want to buy milk from the farmers at an increased rate so that they can get some benefit,” fisheries minister Gokulananda Mallik said.Omfed will now pay Re 1 more per litre and Rs 1.60 per litre to farmers to buy cow milk and buffalo milk, respectively. Earlier, Omfed bought cow milk at Rs 38.05 and buffalo milk at Rs 47. Odisha Milk Farmers Association, however, has demanded Rs 2 per litre for farmers.Similarly, Binjharpuri cow (A2) milk collection price has also increased from Rs 50 per litre to Rs 60 per litre, according to the Omfed statement. “Farmers and milk cooperatives will benefit from the price hike,” Kulange said, adding that Omfed’s milk price is comparatively cheaper than other milk brands.In Sept 2019, Omfed had hiked the price of milk by Rs 4 and by Rs 2 in March 2020, in April 2022 and in June 2025.This hike comes into effect when shopkeepers, eateries, restaurants and hotels are struggling with a rise in the price of LPG amid the US-Iran war. Many eateries, tea shops and food stalls have shut down. “My profit margin has decreased after the hike in LPG price. Now the milk price hike will badly affect my business. I had increased Re 1 for a cup of tea from Rs 5. Now I will increase Re 1 more,” Tophan Mahabhoi, a tea seller in Patia, said.The price rise may push up prices of tea, coffee, milk products including paneer, curd, cheese and ghee. “This hike will rub salt into the wounds of consumers and shopkeepers. Prices of paneer, curd, cheese, ghee, sweets and other milk products will increase. Milk and milk products are essential products for many people. This will hurt the poor and the middle-class more,” Naresh Nayak, a resident of Patia, said.
