COIMBATORE: Butter lovers visiting Aavin outlets will have to go back disappointed as the popular dairy product is out of stock for the last three months.
The shortage has been reported in Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tiruppur and Erode districts, said staff at Aavin outlets.
Aavin sources claimed the lack of stock is due to the diversion of butter to produce ghee which has a large demand during the prolonged festival season lasting from Deepavali to Pongal and also including the two-month Mandala-Makaravilakku Sabarimala pilgrimage season.
Customers claimed that neither Aavin outlets nor other private shops across Coimbatore district have its butter. Aavin parlour staff tell customers that there has been no supply from supply centres.
The webpage of Aavin, Coimbatore, has not listed butter among other milk products.
Aavin butter is preferred for its sound quality at a lower price compared to other brands. Now, regular users of Aavin butter buy other popular brands paying more.
Leading private dairy firms sell the product at about Rs 300 for 500 grams. For instance, a 500 gram carton of Aavin butter is priced at Rs 262, whereas Amul butter of the same quantity costs Rs 285 at retail stores.
However, Sundaravadivel, General Manager (in-charge) of Aavin, Coimbatore, denied unavailability of Aavin butter in the market.
"Aavin is producing up to 1 ton butter per month for sale along with 10 tonnes of ghee. I will check the availability of butter stock and resolve it if its supply to the outlets is short," he added.
CM Jayaraman, president of Citizens' Voice Coimbatore, said the issue of unavailability of butter in the Aavin outlets was raised at a recent consumer meeting.
"Aavin has to convene consumer meetings once every three months to resolve grievances related to products. After one-and-a-half years, Aavin organised the meeting last week. An official who headed the meeting attributed that staff shortage was the reason for not producing butter at the units. Ghee, which requires additional processing, is readily available at outlets, while butter, which needs minimal processing, is not available at all parlours of Aavin," Jayaraman stated while also attributing this contradiction to serious lapses in planning and accountability by Aavin.
He also said the Collector has apprised of the failure of the dairy cooperative to organise the consumer meeting as per the norm.
Sources in Aavin, meanwhile, said during the festival season the butter stock is used up for producing ghee (or clarified butter).