MADURAI: Demanding the state government to increase the procurement price of milk by Rs 7, members of the Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Welfare Association (TNMPWA) commenced an indefinite strike across the state on Friday. Hundreds of dairy cooperative societies withheld milk supply owing to the strike, and as a result, the Madurai Aavin suffered a shortage of Rs 18,000 litres on the day, said General Manager of Madurai Aavin TRD Shanthi. The Madurai Aavin has a daily requirement of 1.34 lakh litres of milk.
At present, Aavin offers a procurement price of Rs 35 for cow milk and Rs 44 for buffalo milk. "Milk societies from Usilampatti and Thirumangalam areas entirely withheld supply. There will be no delay in supply to consumers on Saturday and we are working towards reducing the supply deficit," Shanthi said.
S Subramani (44), a fairy farmer from Usilampatti who supplies 30 litres of milk to Aavin daily through the Perumalpatti village society, said, "I am ready to face this temporary loss, if the strikes will force the government to increase the procurement price. Today, we gave 30 litres of milk to the villagers free of cost." The TNMPWA demonstration in Usilampatti was led by association president Periya Karuppan.
Meanwhile, Aavin depot agents said the strike did not affect the affairs much on Friday morning. Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Association (TNMPA) district head AC Venmani Chandran said except for TNMPWA, no other union took part in the strike. "TNMPWA consulted with no other unions before calling for the strike. Our demands can be achieved only if everyone is taken into confidence before deciding on demonstrations," he added.
Slamming the state government for not heeding the diary farmers' demands, former minister RB Udhayakumar said Tamil Nadu witnessed a shortage of milk not even for a single day from 2011 to 2021. "Only because of Chief Minister MK Stalin's incapable governance, the people now have no milk to drink. The authorities should increase the procurement price soon," he urged.