Bengaluru, 26 June

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday defended the Rs 2 hike in 'Nandini' milk prices with an additional 50 ml of milk in half-litre and one-litre packets, stating that it has been done keeping in mind the interest of farmers given rising procurement.

He reiterated that milk prices have not been increased. "Last year during the same time milk (production) was 90 lakh litres (per day), now it is more than 99 lakh litre. We have to procure milk from farmers, we cannot say no to them, the milk is produced and it has to be marketed. So we have enhanced the half-litre milk packet quantity by 50 ml," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

"The quantity has been enhanced and, proportionate to the increased quantity, the price has been hiked. The cost of 50 ml that has been enhanced in half and one litre packet is Rs 2.10, and we have increased Rs 2, where have we hiked the milk price?" he said. "Can we throw away (more) milk that has been produced? Can we say to farmers we will not procure from them? When told that restaurants are reportedly planning to hike coffee and tea prices, the Chief Minister said, "how will they increase, they can increase when milk prices are hiked."

The Opposition BJP took a dig at the government as the hike in milk prices came days after the government increased fuel prices in the state.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the move is aimed at benefiting farmers and prices should have been hiked more. "This shows that BJP is anti-farmers. The increased amount will go to the farmers who are in distress. KMF (Karnataka Milk Federation) is a farmers' organisation, this is to benefit farmers. According to me, prices should have been hiked more....farmers are in distress, they are selling their cattle unable to take care of them," he said.

BJP should have demanded a hike in prices for the benefit of farmers, he said, asking the party to compare the milk prices in other states.