Vadodara: With Diwali around the corner, households preparing festive sweets will have to shell out more for two essential dairy products — ghee and butter. Dairy major Amul has raised prices amid a seasonal surge in demand, while supply constraints have made some of its products increasingly difficult to find in the market.The latest price revision comes as demand for branded ghee has surged following a crackdown on adulterated products in Gujarat and neighbouring Rajasthan. The increase also erodes much of the relief consumers received from the GST reduction in September 2025, when the tax on dairy products was cut from 12% to 5%.Sources said a 1-kg carton of Amul ghee now costs Rs 680, up from Rs 630, while a 500-gm pouch of pure ghee has become costlier from Rs 325 to Rs 345. The price of a 100-gm butter pack has increased from Rs 63 to Rs 66, while that of a 500-gm pack has risen from Rs 310 to Rs 325, according to revised maximum retail prices (MRPs).Amul’s online platform lists cow ghee at Rs 740 per litre, Sagar ghee at Rs 710, pure ghee at Rs 700 and buffalo ghee at Rs 720. Several varieties, including pure ghee, buffalo ghee and a combo pack, were marked as sold out.The price hike comes at a time when ghee is in high demand as an ingredient in festive sweets, while butter remains a staple in households.Following the GST cut last year, Amul had reduced prices of 700 dairy products. A one-litre carton of ghee had become cheaper from Rs 650 to Rs 610, while a five-litre tin was reduced from Rs 3,275 to Rs 3,075. Similarly, a 100-gm butter pack had dropped from Rs 62 to Rs 58, while a 500-gm pack was reduced from Rs 305 to Rs 285.Amul cow ghee scarce since Ganesh festival, parlours report supply squeezeThe price increase, however, is only part of the problem. Retailers in Vadodara and Ahmedabad say stocks of ghee, particularly Amul cow ghee, have been running low since the Ganesh festival, when demand rose sharply. On Tuesday, a D-Mart outlet in Ahmedabad’s Satellite area had no stocks of Amul ghee or butter.The shortage appears to extend beyond Gujarat, with supply disruptions reported in Pune and Kolkata in July and September. Similar complaints have emerged from Jammu and Kashmir.The precise reasons behind the wider supply disruption remain unclear. Attempts to seek a response from the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets Amul products, did not elicit a response.A cooperative leader closely associated with Amul said demand for branded ghee had surged following the crackdown on adulterated products.“In the last six months, around 2 lakh kg of duplicate ghee has been seized in different parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan. After the crackdown, which was a welcome step, demand has shifted to trusted brands like Amul,” he said, adding that nearly 45% of annual ghee consumption typically takes place during the festive season, putting additional pressure on supplies.Parlour operators in Vadodara said the shortage had persisted despite efforts to streamline distribution.“We receive only a fraction of our usual requirements. In fact, I have not received Amul cow ghee since the Ganpati festival,” said a parlour operator in Vadodara.Sources said parlour operators recently met distributors to raise concerns over the availability of ghee. Distribution channels were subsequently streamlined, but the shortage of cow ghee continues, the operator said.
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