Addressing a press conference on Monday, the members of Kisaan Sena – an organisation of dairy farmers in Indore division — alleged that MP State Co-operative Dairy Federation Limited (MPSCDFL) has not been giving them justice as far as the price of milk is concerned.
«We have been selling milk to the federation at a comparatively cheap price. The production cost of a litre of milk in Sanwer, Depalpur, Hatod, Chandrawati Ganj, Tillor, Mhow, Shipra, Rau and Semalya Chau is Rs 44, but producers get around Rs 36 to Rs 40,» said Kedar Patel, president of Kisaan Sena. He said the government has not accorded priority to the dairy sector, and isolating it will not help the region become self-reliant in milk.
Dilip Singh Pawar, president of Kisaan Shoshan Virodhi Manch – another organization of milk producers, said prices of animal feed, grass, medicine, machinery and fuel, among other inputs, have increased by more than 50 percent over the year but the price of milk has remained the same. «We have demanded that the federation increase the procurement price,» said Pawar.
He said the federation procures milk at Rs 6.20 per fat (a measurement of the quantity of fat in milk), while in states like Gujarat, the milk is purchased at Rs 6.80 per fat. «The pricing policy has discouraged milk producers in the region and many of them may abandon this work if things are not sorted out,» he said. He added thata memorandum will be submitted to the federation to demand for an increase in the procurement price.
MPSCDFL’s CEO (Indore) AN Dwivedi said, «We have not received any such demands from milk producers. There seems to be no scope of increase in procurement prices as prices of milk powder and butter in the national market hasn’t increased,» he pointed.
Source: The Times Of India
Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/dairy-farmers-demand-hike-in-milk-procurement-prices/articleshow/60266336.cms
