Daljit Singh Sadarpura, president, Progressive Dairy Farmers Association (PDFA), said, “We have lifted the dharna outside Verka milk plant in Mohali, as government has given assurance and has called us for a meeting on Monday.”
Earlier in the day, the protesting farmers raised slogans against the Punjab government and said they would continue their agitation till their demands were met.
Sadarpura, while addressing the protesting dairy farmers, said, “After agriculture, dairy farming is the second largest source of livelihood in Punjab. The state is today ranks number 1 in commercial dairy farming in the country. The number of dairy farmers in Punjab is more than the entire country.”
He said even after holding regular meetings with the government on several issues of dairy farmers, the issues have not been resolved, especially regarding increase of milk prices and financial assistance of Rs 7 per litre.
Sadarpura added, “Today every dairy farmer, whether he is a large or small milk producer, is facing financial crisis.
“Last two years we have not raised any issue on increasing the prices of milk because of the pandemic, as we know everyone was passing through a crisis, including the dairy farmers.”
He said although milk rates have not been increased for more than two years now, the expenditure on milk production has, mainly fodder have added 75% to the expenditure.
Singh said the rates of cow feed have doubled in the last two years, which they had never seen before in the last 25 years of dairy business.
Sadarpura said in many states governments are paying financial assistance to the cooperative dairies — Haryana (Rs 5 per litre), Rajasthan (Rs 5 per litre), West Bengal (Rs 7 per litre), Uttarakhand (Rs 4 per litre) and Telangana (Rs 4 per litre).
He added on the same lines the Punjab government should pay Milkfed so that the farmers cooperatives associated with Milkfed should be able to get out of the financial crisis and at the same time the farmers could get economic benefits. Sadarpura demanded that Milkfed should increase the rate for dairy farmers by a minimum of Rs 7 per litre for their survival.
