ERCMPU seeks milk price hike due to rising costs and wages

Kochi: The Ernakulam Regional Co-operative Milk Producers' Union (ERCMPU) will seek a price hike for milk in the wake of a steady rise in production costs and labour wages. The decision was made at the ERCMPU administrative committee meeting in Kochi recently.

"We will approach the state Milma Federation for a price rise. Milk farmers in Kerala are not getting income in accordance with the production cost, prompting small and marginal farmers to quit the field," Ernakulam Milma chairman Valsalan Pillai CN said. He mentioned that the state's milk production is decreasing, leading to an over-dependence on neighbouring states.

"We need govt intervention to avert an imminent crisis," he said, adding that Milma should raise the prices of its milk packets by ‘at least Rs 10' to retain the farmers in the sector.