Leading milk supplier Mother Dairy has increased milk prices in Delhi-NCR and other cities by Rs 2 per litre with effect from Sunday due to higher input costs.

It had last raised the milk prices in December 2019.

From July 1, Amul had hiked its milk prices by Rs 2 per litre.

Mother Dairy said it is "compelled to raise its liquid milk prices by Rs 2/litre in Delhi-NCR with effect from July 11, 2021."

The new prices will be applicable for all milk variants.

"The company has been experiencing inflationary pressure on the overall input costs which has increased multi-fold in the last one year, accompanied by the distress in milk production due to the ongoing pandemic," the statement said.

In the last one year, farm prices have increased to the tune of 8-10 per cent coupled with mounting operational costs of processing, packaging and logistics.

"It is pertinent to note that the farm prices of milk alone have firmed up by about 4 per cent in the last three-four weeks. Despite paying higher prices towards milk procurement in the last one year, the consumer prices were kept intact. With this revision, the milk prices are undergoing a revision of 4 per cent," Mother Dairy said.

Prices are also being revised across key markets including east and central Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, Nagpur and Calcutta from July 11 onwards to the tune of Rs 2/litre on the current prevailing MRP in respective markets, it added.

Mother Dairy sells more than 30 lakh litres of milk per day in Delhi-NCR.

Mother Dairy's decision comes at a time when the price of petrol has shot up above Rs 100 mark in many states.

But it’s not fuel price alone that is burning a hole in the pockets of people. Over the past year and a half, the prices of several essential items have shot up to an extent that tens of thousands of households have their backs to the wall.

From eggs to milk to pulses and edible oil, items that are part of everyday lives have become far costlier than they were just before the start of the pandemic. The price rise hits harder because the virus has robbed many of their income and stalled the income of many more.