Amid public outcry, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar ordered the Karnataka Milk Federation to cut curd prices

Nandini milk stall in Vijayanagar, Bengaluru. | Photo credit: File photo

Amid a backlash from hoteliers and the public over the hike in milk prices, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has directed Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) officials to revise the price of curd and bring it down. Meanwhile, some hotels in the city have hiked the prices of coffee, tea and milk by ₹2-3.

The chief minister said, “I have instructed the KMF officials who came with me on Monday (November 2) to reduce the price of curd.”

From Sunday (November 1), the price of curd per liter, which was earlier ₹54, has increased to ₹68, an increase of ₹14. Similarly, the price of Shubham milk and special tinted milk has increased from ₹ 52 to ₹ 64.

When asked about price differences in different categories of milk, he explained, “The price is higher for milk with higher fat content. Officials will give a detailed explanation soon. When the price of a water bottle goes up, no one will raise an objection – maybe because the GST goes to the Union government. The increase in milk prices will provide support to 11 million farm families.”

Although the state government is justifying the price hike, hoteliers and the public are criticizing it, saying the prices of curd and some types of milk have gone up by ₹14. They questioned the logic behind it.

However, sources in the KMF said that the prices of milk and curd have been increased considering the expenditure incurred in procuring them from farmers, the presence of fat and other factors.

PC Rao, honorary president of Bangalore Hotels Association, said, “We understand that raising the price of milk by ₹ 8 per liter is to support farmers. However, raising the price of curd by ₹ 14 per liter is beyond our understanding. According to what the Chief Minister announced, the price of one liter of curd should have been ₹ 62. But for every common purpose, hotel owners have ₹ 62?”

He further questioned whether this ₹6 will be paid to farmers or KMF. “Hotels, including vegetarian and non-vegetarian, use curd in various dishes including rava idli, lunch dishes, buttermilk, raita for pulav, biryani, dahivada, Mangaluru bajji and others. Drastic increase in the price of curd has added 15% more expenditure to all hotels,” he said.

Mr. Rao said that all hotel owners affiliated to the hotel association would meet Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and KMF officials and ask them not to increase the prices of by-products like ghee and paneer as they were increased recently.

The prices of imported bacterial cultures have increased

“The bacterial culture used in the curd is of high quality and imported from West Asian countries. In the last five months, the prices of the imported culture have increased. Electricity bills have increased as products like curd have to be refrigerated and petrol and diesel prices have increased. KMF has to provide some margin on the quantity to the sellers or sellers in Nandini at the dairies,” KMF official stalls told the farmers.

The official also said that curd prices as per the instructions of Mr. Minister are being revised and will be published soon.

Published – 02 Nov 2026 22:16 IST