On Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that the government will decide on increasing milk prices after presenting the proposal to the Cabinet. However, he emphasized that the core purpose of milk unions is to support farmers, not to make profits.
During a meeting in Bengaluru with representatives from various milk unions and officials from the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), Siddaramaiah sought their feedback on the issue. He reaffirmed that any profits made by the unions should be transferred directly to farmers.
“This is the government’s stance,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that the focus must remain on the welfare of the farmers.
The Chief Minister also instructed the unions to cut down on unnecessary expenses, including limiting the number of contract workers. “Increasing administrative costs have led to financial losses for the unions,” he pointed out. He further stressed that the unions should ensure their administrative expenses do not exceed 2% of their overall spending and set a three-month deadline to reduce costs.
While addressing the milk price issue, Siddaramaiah noted that milk prices in Karnataka are currently lower than those in other states. KMF Chairman Bhima Naik also confirmed that a decision to raise milk prices has already been made. However, the exact price increase—whether ₹3 or ₹5 per litre—will be finalized by the Cabinet on Thursday.