The Punjab State Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation Limited lifted retail pouch milk prices by ₹1 to ₹8 across Punjab, Chandigarh, and Delhi-NCR on Wednesday morning.
Households woke up to steeper dairy bills. The cooperative, which markets dairy products under the flagship Verka brand, announced the hike through an official circular following an internal review meeting conducted via video conferencing to assess competing dairy brands operating across northern markets.
Consumers buying half-litre pouches will bear an immediate markup. A 500-millilitre pouch of Verka full cream milk now sells at ₹38 instead of ₹36, while standard milk jumped ₹2 to reach ₹35. Toned milk climbed to ₹31 from ₹30, double toned milk moved up by a rupee to ₹28, cow milk climbed ₹2 to ₹33, and skimmed milk rose to ₹25 from ₹24.
Larger volume packs registered steeper climbs. The one-litre full cream pack surged by ₹4 to touch ₹76, up from ₹72, while one-litre standard milk climbed ₹4 to settle at ₹69. Toned milk in the one-litre format moved to ₹61 from ₹59, and double toned milk rose to ₹55 from ₹53.
The steepest jumps struck family-sized containers. Full cream milk in 1.5-litre pouches rose ₹6 to ₹112 from ₹106, while 1.5-litre standard milk increased to ₹102 against ₹96. Cow milk in the same 1.5-litre size climbed ₹6 to ₹96. On two-litre family packs, full cream milk spiked by ₹8 to ₹150 from ₹142, while two-litre standard milk surged to ₹136 from ₹128.
| Variant & Volume | Previous MRP (₹) | Revised MRP (₹) | Net Increase (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Cream (500 ml) | 36 | 38 | +2 |
| Standard Milk (500 ml) | 33 | 35 | +2 |
| Toned Milk (500 ml) | 30 | 31 | +1 |
| Double Toned Milk (500 ml) | 27 | 28 | +1 |
| Cow Milk (500 ml) | 31 | 33 | +2 |
The federation froze prices on two smaller formats: 180-millilitre double toned milk and 350-millilitre toned milk remain untouched for now.
Yet shrinkflation will quietly hit those shelves next. The federation confirmed plans to trim the volume of 350-millilitre toned milk pouches to 320 millilitres. Similarly, 450-millilitre standard milk pouches will shrink to 430 millilitres once current packaging film inventory runs out.
Bulk milk buyers escaped the brunt of the adjustment. A separate directive issued to distributors and retail chains confirmed that maximum retail prices for bulk milk variants remain unchanged. Distributor and retail commissions will also hold steady without revision.
Market Context: The territory covered under the hike extends across Punjab, Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali, Kalka, Ropar, and the broader Delhi-NCR belt. To offset transport logistics, the federation introduced tiered overprinting surcharges for hilly distribution routes. Shipments headed to Shimla, Solan, Baddi, Parwanoo, and Nalagarh carry an overprinting levy of ₹2 per litre and ₹3 per 1.5-litre pouch, while routes into Uttarakhand, Bilaspur, Nahan, and Paonta Sahib incur extra charges of ₹4 per litre and ₹5 per 1.5-litre pouch.
Retail counters across Punjab and the national capital territory rolled out the revised price tags at first delivery on November 13, with downsized volumes scheduled to phase in as plant packaging film reserves deplete.
| Skimmed Milk (500 ml) | 24 | 25 | +1 |
| Full Cream (1 Litre) | 72 | 76 | +4 |
| Standard Milk (1 Litre) | 65 | 69 | +4 |
| Toned Milk (1 Litre) | 59 | 61 | +2 |
| Double Toned Milk (1 Litre) | 53 | 55 | +2 |
| Full Cream (1.5 Litre) | 106 | 112 | +6 |
| Standard Milk (1.5 Litre) | 96 | 102 | +6 |
| Cow Milk (1.5 Litre) | 90 | 96 | +6 |
| Full Cream (2 Litre) | 142 | 150 | +8 |
| Standard Milk (2 Litre) | 128 | 136 | +8 |