The price has been hiked after the Goa State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, popularly known as Goa Dairy, proposed the hike owing to increase in rates of various commodities, including cattle feed. “We have granted approval to Goa Dairy’s proposal to hike the price of milk by Rs 4. The price will be hiked in the next four days,” cooperation minister Subhash Shirodkar said, adding that rates have been increased for all types of milk.Shirodkar said that if the state government had not increased the price of milk, then milk production in the state would have decreased and Goa would have had to import it in huge quantities.

“Milk is expensive in other states, too,” the cooperation minister said. He said that out of the Rs 4 hiked on milk, dairy farmers would get Rs 2 and Goa Dairy Rs 2. .

Admitting that the common man will be burdened, the minister said that farmers should also not face losses. “On the one hand we expect dairy farmers to produce huge quantities of milk and, on the other, if we don’t provide the right price for their milk, then dairy farmers will be finished,” Shirodkar said.

He said that if “we share Rs 4, then it will help around 700 families” that are involved in the milk production business. “Right now they don’t save anything. Cattle feed, which they require, comes from other states, and the price of cattle feed has also increased,” Shirodkar said.

He also said that around one lakh litres of milk is being imported from other states.