The Tamil Nadu Milk Producers’ Welfare Association (TNMPWA) has urged the State Government to hike the procurement price of milk with immediate effect and has threatened to launch an agitation if its demand was not met.
A resolution to this effect was adopted at the state executive committee meeting of the association held here on Saturday.
K. A. Sengottuvel, president of the Association, and M. G. Rajendran, its general secretary, told presspersons after the meeting that in 2013 the government was informed that the production cost of a litre of milk was Rs. 34.89, following which it hiked the milk procurement price. Now the milk production cost has increased by 40 % and stood at Rs. 44 per litre.
Mr. Sengottuvel said that the procurement price of milk was not increased for the last three years, due which the farmers have been suffering heavy financial loss. He demanded the government to hike the procurement price from Rs. 27 to Rs. 37 per litre for cow milk and Rs. 29 to Rs. 45 for buffalo milk.
He suggested to the government to increase the milk marketing price to compensate the hike in the procurement price.
Another resolution adopted at the meeting demanded adoption of ISI formula for testing the quality of milk. Aavin fixed the procurement price of milk by testing the FAT and solids non-fat (SNF) content adopting the modified Richmond formula. This formula should be revised once in 10 years, but it has not been revised for the past 25 years.
The resolution favoured adoption of ISI formula that was followed in Gujarat, Karnataka and Kerala for testing the quality of milk.
The meeting thanked the Director of Milk Production and Dairy Development for his order directing the district cooperative milk producers unions to hand over acknowledgement token on the quality, quantity and temperature at the bulk milk cooler (BMC) venues itself. The meeting demanded the directors of the district milk producers unions to strictly follow this directive.