Farmers to distribute free milk from May 3 | Kolhapur News – Times of India

Milk producing farmers are going to distribute milk free of cost at district and taluka centres for seven days from May 3, to protest the state’s failure to intervene in falling milk procurement prices. Ajit Navale, farmer leader associated with All India Kisan Sabha said as much on Sunday.

The state government has set minimum price at Rs 27 per litre for milk dairies to procure milk from farmers. Till last year farmers used to get Rs 30 for every litre of milk. However, now the rate dairies are buying milk from farmers has come down to around Rs 19 per litre to Rs 22 per litre.

Navale was addressing a packed hall at Shivaji Park area in the city. The meeting was attended by hundreds of farmers and farm workers
Navale said, “Against each litre of milk, farmers are suffering a loss of Rs 8 to Rs 10. The state government has set the procurement price at Rs 27 per litre. However, the dairies are not even paying that to farmers. It is the responsibility of the state government to intervene and resolve the issue and force dairies to pay the minimum price assured by them.”

Navale said that when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in opposition, its workers would descend onto the streets if price of milk or onion increased even by a small margin.

“When farmers used to get some extra money when market prices increased, the BJP used to cry hoarse about rise in inflation and force the government to change policies in favour of the consumers. BJP has come to power with the support of farmers. However, after coming to power, it has neglected them,” Navale said.
He added, “I appeal to farmers to invite local leaders or ministers and give them a glass of milk and not charge them. They should be ashamed that the hard work of farmers is not being rewarded.”

Navale also declared that he is going to initiate a signature campaign with at least 20 lakh farmers from the state to make a fresh demand for implementation of Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation. The commission had recommended the central government pay farmers 50% more than the production cost as minimum price of farm produce.

Source: Farmers to distribute free milk from May 3 | Kolhapur News – Times of India