Kerala: Milma cuts prices of 100 dairy products after GST revision

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 21 (IANS) The Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), popularly known as Milma, has announced a major price cut on nearly 100 of its value-added dairy products, bringing relief to consumers across the state.

The reduction comes in the wake of the Union government’s revision of Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates, and the new prices will take effect from Monday.

The biggest relief is on ghee, a staple in Kerala households. A one-litre pack of Milma ghee will now cost Rs 675, down from Rs 720, while the 500-ml pack has been reduced from Rs 370 to Rs 345. This follows the lowering of GST on ghee from 12 per cent to 5 per cent.

Similarly, the price of butter has been revised from Rs 240 to Rs 225, and paneer (500 gm) has been reduced by Rs 11 to Rs 234 after GST on paneer was completely withdrawn. Desserts, too, will see sharp drops. A litre of vanilla ice cream, for instance, will now cost Rs 196 compared to the earlier Rs 220, thanks to the GST rate being cut from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.

Other popular items such as flavoured milk, UHT milk, packaged juices, and payasam mixes are also set to become cheaper following tax adjustments. Flavoured milk will now attract only 5 per cent GST instead of 12 per cent, UHT milk will be exempted from GST altogether, and payasam mix will see a cut from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.

Milma Chairman K.S. Mani said the federation was fully committed to passing on the entire benefit of the revised tax structure to consumers.

“With these adjustments, ghee, butter, and paneer will be around 7 per cent cheaper, while ice creams will see a reduction of 12 to 13 per cent. The revised tax framework not only eases the burden on consumers but also strengthens the competitiveness of primary milk cooperative societies,” he said.

The decision is expected to boost consumer confidence and improve sales of Milma’s value-added range, which includes dairy essentials and ready-to-use products widely purchased during the festival season. The cuts, officials believe, will also help Milma strengthen its market share in Kerala’s competitive dairy sector while reaffirming its role as a consumer-friendly cooperative.

--IANS

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