The Gujarat Cooperative MilkMarketing Federation (GCMMF), the owner of 'Amul' brand, said on Saturday that it is procuring 15 per cent more milk than year ago at 255-260 lakh litres per day.While the sale of milk pouches, flavoured milk and ice cream was down due to lockdown, milk procurement had increased because it was also buying milk from private milk producers, the federation said.The sale of paneer and ghee had also increased, it added.The quantity of milk sold in pouches has fallen from 140 lakh litres per day in March 2020 to 125 lakh litres in April, mainly because hotels and catering firms have closed, GCMMF said in a release.Migration of urban population to rural areas has also affected the sale of pouched milk, it said.The sale of ice cream and flavoured milk has decreased by as much as 85 and 70 per cent, respectively, compared to the same period last year, it said.On the other hand, sale of paneer, ghee, butter and milk sold in tetrapack has gone up by 15-50 per cent, the GCMMF said."Milk procurement at around 255-260 lakh litres per day is around 15 per cent more compared to the same month last year," the release said."Amul milk cooperatives are also procuring milk from private milk producers as per the direction of the government. Collection has also increased as private businesses and sweet shops cannot run their operations during lockdown," it said.To handle increased supply, the GCMMF has rented milk processing plants outside Gujarat, it said.It has asked its member milk farmers to take precautions to avoid coronavirus infection, the federation said.GCMMF's member cooperatives have donated Rs 15 crore to the CM's and PM's relief funds, it said.
