PONDA: Goa Dairy on Wednesday resolved to pay a one-rupee hike to dairy farmers in the state. The purchase price will be implemented retrospectively from June 1. However, there will not be any corresponding hike in milk prices, Goa Dairy authorities said. Goa Dairy has been hiking milk prices slowly since February 21 in order to meet the price rise of milk supplied from neighbouring states. The cost of milk available to consumers in Goa has risen by Rs 4 since February. However, Goa Dairy did not increase the purchase price of milk that it procures from Goan dairy farmers. Goa Dairy chairman Madhav Sahakari on Wednesday said that the one-rupee increase in price will be given to cow and buffalo milk suppliers. After taking charge in November 2006, the present board of directors has increased milk prices on six occasions. Milk was sold in state for Rs 11.44 in November 2006, and is presently sold at Rs 21.48, Sahakari said. Meanwhile, Goa Dairy's managing director Sadanand Kulkarni said the increase in the purchase price will create an additional burden of Rs 14 lakh per month and Rs 1.64 crore per annum. Goa Dairy presently sells 71,000 litres of milk per day in the Goan market. Of this figure, 33,000 litres of milk are supplied by local farmers, while 38,000 litres of milk are procured from neighbouring states. After Wednesday's resolution, the dairy will pay Rs 21.48 per litre plus Rs 3.33 as milk processing price to Goan dairy farmers. Outstation dairy farmers will be paid ` 21.90 per litre, Kulkarni said.

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