Now, shell out Rs. 5 more for a litre of milk

PUDUCHERRY: Milk prices in Puducherry will go up by `5 per litre from Thursday. Pondicherry cooperative Milk producers’ union (PONLAIT) has decided to sell milk at the enhanced price to balance the procurement cost.While toned milk will sell at `26 per litre  instead of `21 at present , the  standardised milk  (cow milk) will be selling at `28 per litre in place of `26 per litre.  A half-litre packet of toned milk will now cost `13 in place of `10.50, while 200 ml packets will cost `5 in place of Rs `4.50. Half-litre packet of standardised milk will now cost `14.The price of other Ponlait products that include ghee,khoya, curd will go up from March first week, said the managing director of Ponlait G Maruthavanan.After Aavin increased the milk prices last November, private vendors enhanced the milk price. Ponlait, however, did not enhance the price of toned milk, but introduced standardised milk (green packet) at `26 per litre to offset the losses due to the enhanced procurement price from `16.50 to `19.Now the enhancement of milk price has become a necessity to reduce the losses after the Tamil Nadu government enhanced the procurement price of milk once again in the current month from `19 to `20, the managing director said. The shortfall has been raised to `3.50 per litre.  The UT procures around  75,000 to 80,000 litres per day from dairies in Tamil Nadu to meet the requirement of one lakh litre per day. Ponlait has suffered heavy losses in the toned milk sector and thus the prices had to be enhanced. As the price of toned milk has become comparable to whole milk, Ponlait would be increasing the toned milk packets supply to meet the requirements. However, the prices have been kept lower than in Tamil Nadu.