Bengaluru: Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) faced a challenge with a coin shortage when returning change to customers after recently revising the prices of Nandini milk. All varieties of milk saw an increase of Rs 3 per litre, while the scarcity of coins was particularly evident with the half-litre (500ml) packets, which saw a price hike of Rs 1.5.
The shortage of coins, especially 50 paise and Re 1 denominations, prompted the cooperative major to adjust the prices of half-litre packets slightly. Instead of dealing with the coin scarcity, KMF decided to round off the prices of these packets and offer an additional 10ml of milk to customers. This issue of coin shortage was present even before the recent price revision, but it became more severe with the Rs 3 per litre increase. Notably, the sales of one-litre packets remained unaffected as they are limited in number.
The Rs 1.5 price hike for 500ml packets further compounded the coin shortage problem. Vendors faced challenges in sourcing sufficient 50 paise and Re 1 coins. Initially, KMF tried to address the issue by offering candies instead of coins, but this practice led to arguments with customers.
A senior official from KMF headquarters in Bengaluru explained that based on the recent price revision, half a litre of toned milk (blue packet) should have been priced at Rs 21.5, but it was offered at Rs 22, including an additional 10ml of milk. Similarly, the special Shubham milk (orange packet) should have been priced at Rs 24, but it was sold at Rs 25 with 10ml extra milk. To ensure the convenience of consumers and avoid disputes at shops, the federation decided to round off the prices and provide the extra 10ml milk with each 500ml packet. The phrase ‘Extra 10ml’ is printed on the packets.
