KMF agrees to cut Nandini curd prices by ₹2 per litre

Shivakumar said he had proposed the reduction during a visit by a KMF delegation that had come to felicitate him. According to a PTI report published by ThePrint, he announced the federation's agreement while defending the government's decision to raise milk prices.

A litre of Nandini curd had previously cost ₹54, before the 1 November adjustment lifted its price to ₹68. The proposed reduction would bring that pack's price to ₹66. A 500-gram pack rose from ₹28 to ₹34 under the same revision, an increase of ₹6.

The curd increases followed a rise in milk prices approved by Karnataka's cabinet on 29 October. The cabinet authorised an additional ₹8 per litre for Nandini milk, effective from 1 November. Of that amount, ₹7 is intended for dairy farmers, with the remaining ₹1 allocated to milk cooperatives to cover operating costs.

Opposition to the increases included a demonstration organised by the BJP's women's wing at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Monday, 2 November. Protesters called for the government to reverse the price rises. Demonstrations also took place in other parts of Karnataka.

Shivakumar acknowledged public dissatisfaction but said the higher prices would benefit 1.1 million farming families. Farmers supplying milk had requested an increase of ₹12 per litre, he said. He also argued that the revised prices would help keep milk supplies from being diverted to neighbouring states, where prices were higher.

Shivakumar said he had been told that about 1 million litres of milk had begun returning following the increase. He attributed differences between the prices of milk varieties to their fat content and said officials would explain the pricing details.