<p>In Mumbai the milk has become costlier by Rs 7 to Rs 24 a litre since July 2007, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, K V Thomas said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.<br /><br />In Delhi, milk price during the same period shot up from Rs 18 a litre to Rs 24 a litre. The rise was of Rs 6 a litre and Rs 4 a litre in Kolkata and Chennai respectively during the span, the Minister added.<br /><br />"The wholesale price index (WPI)of milk has increased by 19.03 per cent in last one year. Prices of milk have been increased due to increase in cost of production," Thomas said.<br /><br />In a separate reply, he said, milk production generally increased during the month of October to March known as "flush season" and decreased during months of April to September known as "lean season".<br /><br />Thomas said sale price of milk is decided by the state milk federations and district milk unions.<br /><br />About steps to control price of milk, he said the department of Dairying was monitoring the milk situation in the country with the objective of ensuring availability of milk in the domestic market at a reasonable price.<br /><br />During March this year, the government allowed NDDB (National Dairy Development Board) to import 30,000 tonnes of milk powder and 15,000 tonnes of butter oil and anhydrous milk fat (AMF) at zero per cent duty for use by milk federations and Metro Dairies to maintain supply of liquid milk to consumers at a reasonable price, he said.<br /><br />Milk production was 112 million tonnes in the country in 2009-10.</p>
<p>In Mumbai the milk has become costlier by Rs 7 to Rs 24 a litre since July 2007, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, K V Thomas said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.<br /><br />In Delhi, milk price during the same period shot up from Rs 18 a litre to Rs 24 a litre. The rise was of Rs 6 a litre and Rs 4 a litre in Kolkata and Chennai respectively during the span, the Minister added.<br /><br />"The wholesale price index (WPI)of milk has increased by 19.03 per cent in last one year. Prices of milk have been increased due to increase in cost of production," Thomas said.<br /><br />In a separate reply, he said, milk production generally increased during the month of October to March known as "flush season" and decreased during months of April to September known as "lean season".<br /><br />Thomas said sale price of milk is decided by the state milk federations and district milk unions.<br /><br />About steps to control price of milk, he said the department of Dairying was monitoring the milk situation in the country with the objective of ensuring availability of milk in the domestic market at a reasonable price.<br /><br />During March this year, the government allowed NDDB (National Dairy Development Board) to import 30,000 tonnes of milk powder and 15,000 tonnes of butter oil and anhydrous milk fat (AMF) at zero per cent duty for use by milk federations and Metro Dairies to maintain supply of liquid milk to consumers at a reasonable price, he said.<br /><br />Milk production was 112 million tonnes in the country in 2009-10.</p>