The Hindu : Front Page : Milk strike: Aavin loss Rs. 35 lakh a day

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Sunday, Feb 13, 2011
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Milk strike: Aavin loss Rs. 35 lakh a day

Staff Reporter

The union currently receives around 35,000 to 40,000 litres of milk a day

Over 60,000 dairy farmers have stopped supplying milk
‘The strike will continue till the government increases the procurement prices'

PHOTO:M.GOVARTHAN

Venting ire:Milk producers poured more than 50 litres of milk on the ground in Vellode on Saturday urging the State Government to increase the procurement prices. —

ERODE: Cut in supply of over 1.5 lakh litres of milk threatens to hit the fiscal health of the Erode District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union (Aavin), which is incurring a loss of Rs 35 lakh a day as the strike by dairy farmers entered the sixth day on Saturday.

“We normally get around Rs 38 lakh a day as revenue from the supply of milk. Now we get only around Rs. 3 lakh. If the strike continues for more days, it will severely affect the financial health of the union,” a senior official in Aavin told The Hindu.

The union currently receives around 35,000 to 40,000 litres of milk a day as against the normal supply of 2.10 lakh litres from its primary milk producers' co-operative societies.

Over 60,000 dairy farmers in the district have stopped supplying milk to the union since February 7, demanding an increase in the procurement price of cow's milk by Rs. 5 and buffalo's milk by Rs. 8. This has forced Aavin to stop the supply of milk to consumers in Chennai and many parts of Erode district. Till the strike, the cooperative union supplied over 1.10 lakh litres of milk to Chennai and 67,000 litres to Erode district per day.

On Saturday, too, demonstrations and road blockades were held in many places in the district.

Some dairy farmers even poured over 100 litres of milk on the ground, accusing the government of not increasing the procurement prices.

“The strike will continue till the government increases the procurement prices,” Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Welfare Association treasurer K.Ramasamy Gounder said.

Genuine demand

“We do not know why the government shows huge reluctance in fulfilling our genuine demand. Over 25 lakh families of dairy farmers will benefit if the procurement prices are increased,” Mr. Gounder said.

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