Milk farmers strike in Maharashtra intensifies as protesters return tankers

Tankers loaded with milk have been returned to Gujarat, a few tankers guarded with armed forces entering into Maharashtra though

Milk farmers’ protest in Maharashtra intensified on the second day on Tuesday as protesters led by the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and Member of Parliament Raju Shetti returned dozens of tankers loaded with milk to their respective origins in Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. All senior protesting Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leaders have been detained at the Bund Garden police station, Pune, Tuesday evening. It was, however, not known whether police have detained Shetti also.

Protesting farmers and their leaders claim that milk collection by the corporate owned chilling centres and bulk dealers has declined to 10 per cent now. While farmers have denied selling milk at Rs 16-17 a litre in some regions, a number of farmers have been forced to sell their milk at this price under heavily guarded police cover. Buffalo milk contributing to nearly 30 per cent of state supplies, however, is unlikely to get impacted.

Started from mid-night of Sunday, the protest escalated on Tuesday following support from farmers leaders from all across the state. The protesting farmers have been demanding Rs 5 a litre of subsidy to be deposited directly into their account similar to the practice in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Gujarat government has been providing a lot of subsidy to the state’s largest milk co-operative the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the producer of Amul brand dairy producer.

“The government is trying to disperse the crowd using force. No government representative has ever approached us for talks. Our demand is very simple - pay a subsidy of Rs 5 a litre to milk farmers to prevent their financial distress. Instead of meeting farmers’ demand, the government is using force to restore milk supply. This will only escalate protest in coming days with consumers may not get milk in major cities of the state from Wednesday,” said Yogesh Pande, spokesperson, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana.

Trade estimates total cow milk collection in Maharashtra at 10 million litres per day. Of around 5.5 million cow milk pouches are sold daily across Maharashtra, Gujarat – based GCMMF’s Amul brand contributes the highest market share of 30 per cent followed by Kolhapur – based Gokul.

R S Sodhi, managing director, GCMMF, however, claims smooth milk supply to Maharashtra on Tuesday. “We are not aware of any return of our tankers as of now. Till today, the supply of milk tankers was smooth. We don’t know about tomorrow,” said Sodhi.

Meanwhile, Shetti has threatened the government to commence “satyagraha” if the demand of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana is not met immediately. Apart from Rs 5 a litre subsidy, the Sanghatana urged the government to waive GST on value added products. Farmers have urged the government to fix a minimum selling price of cow milk at Rs 30 a litre.

“Farmers are forced to sell milk to dairy companies at whatever price decided by the corporate in the vicinity. Being a perishable commodity with a very short life, dairy companies collect milk from farmers, and sell the same at nearly three times at their purchase price after chilling and packing the liquid. So, dairy companies take full benefit at the cost of farmers,” said Pande.

The Sanghathana’s demand is estimated to cost the government around Rs 4 billion but benefit around 2 million farmers with a majority of them debt-laden.