While Mumbai and Pune dairy farmers called for a milk protest on Sunday mid-night demanding hike in milk price, one of the farmers took batch with 35 litres of milk, the video of which is going viral on social media.
The farmers have been raising their voice demanding a hike of Rs 5 per litre in the procurement price of cow’s milk. The protest came on the heels of private and co-operative milk unions in Maharashtra raising the procurement price per litre of milk for farmers by Rs 3 from 21 July onward.
Farmer groups said that the cost of production of one litre of cow’s milk is Rs 35, but they are paid between Rs 17-20, while the minimum procurement rate set by the government is Rs 27.
As a part of protest, many dairy workers stopped vehicles near Pune early on Monday, and prevented milk from being supplied to nearby cities. While some protesters dumped milk on the roads in Ahmednagar, few farmers poured tonnes of milk over their cows.
The crisis in agriculture is leading to rural and farmer distress
Despite the much atrocities on roads, the state government and many private dairies have said that the city has a buffer stock to last till Tuesday. Big dairies have affirmed that they will continue to distribute milk in Mumbai. Big players in milk cooperatives have said they will continue to distribute milk.
