Covid-19: Milk supply chain disrupted in Maharashtra

Out of one.19 crore litre daily milk generation in the Point out, 47 lakh litre is remaining unsold placing milk producer farmers beneath immense distress. Farmer organisations have demanded that the Point out authorities need to give economical aid to milk producers.

The Point out has about forty six lakh milk producer farmers and milk dairies which obtained milk at ₹33-34 litre have decreased the procurement price tag to ₹18-19 per litre following the Covid-19 outbreak.

“About 86 lakh litre milk is bought in pouches. But owing to lockdown, this promote has appear down to sixty seven lakh litre per day. The Point out authorities is paying for five lakh litre milk to support farmers but however, there is 47 lakh litre surplus milk. This has impacted procurement price tag and has included immense burden on farmers” reported former MP and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) chief Raju Shetti.

A cow milk producer farmer bears the value of about ₹27-28 to create a person-litre milk and the similar is remaining bought at ₹16-seventeen per litre following recurrent lockdowns given that March. SSS will start a a person-day agitation on Tuesday (July 21) to push for the need searching for support to milk producer farmers. SSS experienced sought a authorities grant of ₹5 per litre for farmers.

Milk producer farmers have also opposed the Centre’s final decision enabling milk powder imports beneath Tariff Fee Quota (TRQ). In accordance to farmers’ organisation 50, 000 tonne milk powder quota exists in Maharashtra, and the Centre’s final decision would further more deteriorate the disaster.

The Union Ministry of Finance just lately exempted imports of milk and product in powder, granules or in other stable kinds into India beneath the TRQ quantity. The notification enables 10,000 tonnes of imports for the fiscal with fifteen per cent tariff on imported quantity.