BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Tuesday announced a Rs 2 per litre hike in the milk procurement price for farmers linked to primary dairy cooperative societies. The revised rate will come into effect from September 11.
Animal Husbandry and Fisheries minister Gokulananda Mallick said the decision will benefit more than three lakh dairy farmers of the state. “The increase in milk procurement price will help strengthen the dairy sector and improve the economic condition of milk producers in the state and encourage greater participation in the organised dairy sector,” he said.
The Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation (OMFED), the apex dairy cooperative of the state, currently procures around 7 lakh litres of milk every day from nearly 3.24 lakh farmers through 4,616 primary milk cooperative societies.
The latest revision follows an increase announced by OMFED in May this year, when it raised the procurement price by Rs 1 per litre, taking the rate for cow milk to Rs 39.05 per litre. The earlier hike was also attributed to rising costs of feed, fodder, medicines and livestock maintenance.
The minister further said that the state government is planning to create 1,200 more new dairy cooperative societies across the state. He said the new societies will be made operation soon.
Welcoming the decision, president of the Odisha Dairy Farmers Federation Rabi Behera said that although the Rs 2 per litre increase is not sufficient, it is still good. He urged the government to control the price of cattle feed and introduce an Ayushman Yojana-like scheme for the treatment of livestock.