Protest begins, city’s milk supply may be hit

MUMBAI: Demanding a direct subsidy of ₹5 a litre and goods and services tax (GST) waiver for butter and milk powder, milk farmers started to halt the supply of milk across the state on Sunday evening. The stir is likely to hit the supply in Mumbai.

While the protest was to begin on Sunday midnight, the farmers, under the banner of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana led by MP Raju Shetti and Maharashtra Kisan Sabha led by Ajit Nawale,

started blocking tankers a few hours before that. Milk cooperatives in western Maharashtra have announced support to the protest, saying they won’t transport milk out of their plants.

Mumbai consumes 50% of the 1.10 lakh litres of milk sold by private, cooperative and government brands in the state. The protesters have announced they would block milk tankers coming from Gujarat to ensure success of the plan.

“While the state fixed the procurement price to ₹27, farmers are getting as low as ₹17 a litre. With the fall in the rate of skimmed milk powder, even cooperative dairies are finding it tough to sustain. We are demanding a direct subsidy of ₹5 a litre for farmers, on the lines of the subsidy given in Karnataka, Kerala and Goa for two months,” said Raju Shetti.

Nawale said the state’s announcement of a subsidy of ₹50 a kg for milk powder will not help farmers, considering the drop in the rate of milk powder in the international market. He said this would benefit private brands that are in the business of conversion of milk into powder.