Hike milk procurement price to Rs 44/litre as per poll promise: Dairy farmers to TVK government

TIRUCHY: Milk producers on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction over Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announcing a rise in procurement cost of milk from Rs 38 to Rs 41 per litre and not increasing it to Rs 44 as per the TVK's poll promise.

Key points

• Swamimalai S Vimalnathan, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, remarked rearing cattle has become a costly affair.
• The hike offered now is insufficient to sustain dairy farming, remarked N Ganesan, state joint secretary of Tamil Nadu Milk Producers' Welfare Association.
• Private dairies are already paying between Rs 45 and Rs 50 per litre for cow's milk, and in some cases up to Rs 55 per litre depending on the fat content.
• Ganesan remarked the TVK should honour its poll promise of fixing procurement rate of cow's milk at Rs 44 per litre and buffalo milk at Rs 60 per litre.
• For each visit, farmers have to pay Rs 500 as consultation fee to veterinary doctors.

While the costs of value-added milk products had gone up a number of times, state treasurer of the farmers' wing of Tamil Manila Congress Vayalur N Rajendran remarked the procurement rate of milk had not been rose for the past four years. Meanwhile, private dairy firms have climbed their milk procurement cost to Rs 50 per litre.

"Drought and decline in agricultural land have led to a shortage of green fodder, and the cost of feed has additionally climbed a number of times. Therefore, the milk procurement cost should be climbed Rs 44, and the administration should additionally provide a subsidy for fodder, " he stated.

Swamimalai S Vimalnathan, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, remarked rearing cattle has become a costly affair. Apart from the cost of fodder, the cost of medicines for cattle has additionally been increasing.

For each visit, farmers have to pay Rs 500 as consultation fee to veterinary doctors. Considering all these factors, the administration should fix the procurement rate at a level that will support farmers manage their expenses, he remarked.

Meanwhile, the hike offered now is insufficient to sustain dairy farming, remarked N Ganesan, state joint secretary of Tamil Nadu Milk Producers' Welfare Association.

"Private dairies are already paying between Rs 45 and Rs 50 per litre for cow's milk, and in some cases up to Rs 55 per litre depending on the fat content. So, this hike will not create milk producers. This person are already selling their milk to private dairies, turn towards Aavin, " he stated.

For now, hike milk procurement price to Rs 44/litre as per poll promise: Dairy remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.