Tamil Nadu milk agents seek Aavin price review as private dairies raise rates
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Milk Agents Workers Welfare Association has urged the state government to review Aavin’s retail milk prices, warning that a widening gap with private dairy prices could increase demand for the cooperative’s milk and strain its supplies.
In a statement, association president Ponnusamy said private dairies had raised the prices they pay farmers after the government increased Aavin’s milk procurement price by ₹6 a litre.
He said companies in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states were already struggling to maintain procurement amid lower milk production.
According to the association, several private dairies are increasing retail milk prices by up to ₹4 a litre and curd prices by up to ₹2 a kilogram from today.
Arokya introduced similar increases on September 21. The association named Heritage, Tirumala, Jersey and other brands among those revising prices.
Under the revised rates cited in the statement, a 500 ml packet of toned milk will rise from ₹31 to ₹32, standardised milk from ₹35 to ₹37 and full cream milk from ₹40 to ₹42. For one-litre packets, the respective prices will rise from ₹59 to ₹61, ₹68 to ₹70 and ₹78 to ₹81. The statement also listed ₹1 increases for two 500 gram curd packs.
Ponnusamy said the changes would make private milk considerably more expensive than comparable Aavin products.
The association estimated the price difference at ₹7 for a 500 ml toned milk packet, ₹15 for standardised milk and ₹12 for full cream milk.
It warned that households seeking cheaper milk could switch to Aavin, worsening shortages that it said were already being felt across the state.
The association claimed Aavin was losing more than ₹15 a litre on average because its retail prices had not been adjusted to reflect procurement costs.
It called for urgent government action to protect the cooperative’s finances while ensuring milk remained available to consumers.
The government has not announced a change to Aavin’s retail prices. The group also asked the Chief Minister to establish a dedicated department to oversee milk production, procurement, distribution and sales, and to address problems faced by farmers, agents and private dairies.
At the same time, it appealed to private companies to reconsider frequent price increases, citing their impact on low- and middle-income families.