TIRUCHY: Milk producers on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction over Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announcing a rise in procurement price of milk from Rs 38 to Rs 41 per litre and not increasing it to Rs 44 as per the TVK's poll promise.
State treasurer of the farmers' wing of Tamil Manila Congress Vayalur N Rajendran said the procurement price of milk had not been increased for the past four years, while the prices of value-added milk products had gone up several times. At the same time, private dairy companies have increased their milk procurement price to Rs 50 per litre.
"Drought and decline in agricultural land have led to a shortage of green fodder, and the cost of feed has also increased several times. Therefore, the milk procurement price should be increased Rs 44 , and the government should also provide a subsidy for fodder," he said.
Swamimalai S Vimalnathan, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said rearing cattle has become a costly affair.
"Apart from the cost of fodder, the price of medicines for cattle has also been increasing.
For each visit, farmers have to pay Rs 500 as consultation fee to veterinary doctors. Considering all these factors, the government should fix the procurement price at a level that will help farmers manage their expenses," he said.
The hike offered now is insufficient to sustain dairy farming, said N Ganesan, state joint secretary of Tamil Nadu Milk Producers' Welfare Association.
"Private dairies are already paying between Rs 45 and Rs 50 per litre for cow's milk, and in some cases up to Rs 55 per litre depending on the fat content. So, this hike will not make milk producers, who are already selling their milk to private dairies, turn towards Aavin," he said.
Ganesan said the TVK should honour its poll promise of fixing procurement price of cow's milk at Rs 44 per litre and buffalo milk at Rs 60 per litre.
