MMPA Hikes Buffalo Milk Wholesale Price by ₹9 per Litre in Mumbai

Wholesale prices of buffalo milk across Mumbai will increase by ₹9 per litre from September 1, rising from ₹93 to ₹102 per litre, according to an announcement by the Mumbai Milk Producers Association (MMPA). The revision is expected to push retail prices to around ₹110 per litre in North Mumbai and ₹112 per litre in the southern parts of the city.

MMPA president Chandra Kumar Singh stated that the price hike was necessitated by the rising cost of milch animals, cattle feed, and fodder. The previous increase in buffalo milk rates was announced in February this year.

The price revision is anticipated to have a cascading effect on milk-based products, including paneer, ghee, and traditional sweets. Singh noted that high-quality paneer could increase in price from approximately ₹580 to ₹640 per kilogram. In Ghatkopar, sweet retailer Deepak Agarwal noted that popular sweets such as peda and barfi could see prices rise by around 10%, though wholesalers and semi-wholesalers are expected to absorb most of the increased cost.

According to data from the MMPA, Mumbai consumes approximately 45 lakh litres of milk daily, comprising buffalo milk, cow milk, and reconstituted powdered milk. The association noted that cow milk, which has an average fat content of 3.5% and sells for ₹60 to ₹70 per litre, accounts for only about a quarter of the total milk consumed in the city. Buffalo milk prices vary depending on fat content, with the MMPA standard set at 7% fat.

The association highlighted that Mumbai increasingly relies on supplies from outside municipal limits. Only about 10% of the daily supply originates from animals kept within the city, including around 18,000 animals at Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon. Another 30,000 animals based in Vasai, Nalasopara, Kalyan, Badlapur, and adjacent regions supply milk to the metropolis.

Singh pointed out that following the establishment of Aarey Milk Colony in 1949 and the closure of private cattle sheds in Oshiwara, Goregaon, Kurla, and Mulund, internal production declined while citywide consumption tripled from 15 lakh litres over the last 50 years. Cow milk prices remain unchanged following the latest announcement, and the MMPA plans to meet in the last week of February 2027 to review prices again.