Maharashtra dairy development minister Eknath Khadse said on Monday that Mahanand Dairy, a venture of Maharashtra state cooperative milk federation, has agreed to slash the milk prices by Rs 2 per litre. The Minister said that Mahanand milk, earlier sold at Rs 40 per litre, will now be sold at Rs 38 per litre. Khadse also said that government had directed the milk cooperatives to procure milk at not less than Rs 20 per litre, the government-prescribed rate from milk farmers.
The senior cabinet minister who also holds the agriculture portfolio informed that a meeting will be held in Mumbai on Wednesday to review the preparedness for kharif season. Khadse said that the state government will ensure about sufficient stock of fertilisers is available. The Central government has said urea prices will remain unchanged for the next four years. He further said that the government has also planned to provide milk powder to school children under the mid-day meal scheme once a week to utilise 2,178 metric tonnes of powder stock lying with government dairies. He added that officials of the dairy department, food and drug administration and legal meterology will undertake joint action against milk adulteration.