This tale throws emphasis on the farmers who contribute to the success of a government cooperative organization. During the previous AIADMK regime, milk costs skyrocketed. However, the DMK rule reduced the price of milk. According to electoral promises, the DMK government reduced milk prices by Rs. 3 per litre.
2.68 lakh litre per day
Every day, Aavin sells approximately 60 lakh packets of milk. How do cooperative societies function under this regime? Saranathi Ammal, a senior research analyst at Thiruvannamalai Dairy Welfare Department, said, “These organizations provide us with almost 2.68 litre of milk per day. Around 39,000 milk farmers are organized into associations. Once the Thiruvannamalai district’s demand is met, we obtain the remaining milk for Aavin.”
“In these communities, there is a peak season for high milk production. There will also be a shortage at some seasons. However, Aavin obtains the required milk in the same quantity throughout the year, with no seasonal variations.”
Quality-based pricing
“Aavin purchases milk from us based on the quality of the milk,” said Pavalamalli, a dairy farmer in the Vedapuram cooperative group. The funds will be directly put into my bank account in four days,” Ammal added.
“I have two dairy cows,” Parasuraman from Yadhavapuram explained, “My cows give me 5 litre of milk every morning and evening. I deliver milk to the society by 6 am in the morning. Officials in society will check the fat content of my milk and obtain it. The price will be determined by the quality of the milk. Every four days, I will receive money immediately into my bank account.”
“Aside from procuring milk, the Aavin cooperative society also provides us with the injection for cattle pregnancy,” dairy farmer Arul Malar explained.
A cow-specific medical team
“There are 145 registered members under this particular society,” said Valliammal, secretary of Kolathur Cooperative Society in Thiruvannamalai, “We’ve been in the business for eight years. We exclusively bought milk based on ‘test ratings’ from the outset. There is no single pricing that applies to everyone. The price will be determined by the quality of the milk.”
“There is an unbreakable rule that no one may bring milk in plastic containers. As a result, we gave them milk containers from our society. The dairy producers will only bring milk in the containers provided. Then we’ll check for quality by assessing the water content and looking for any other signs of adulteration. As a result, dairy farmers will deliver quality milk without fail,” he added.
Manikandan, another study expert, stated, “Thiruvannamalai district is only highly industrialised.” So farming is the most common occupation in this area. The main crops grown are flowers, sugarcane, and paddy. Dairy farming is a sideline for many farmers in this area. People here rely on dairy farming during the off seasons in farming.”
Milk is cheaper in Tamil Nadu
“There is no such thing as a profit goal for Aavin,” stated State Minister of Dairy Welfare Nasar. CM Stalin wants Aavin to be run as a service organisation. Aavin’s policy is to follow the wishes of the CM. When the price of milk was raised by Rs 6 per litre during the AIADMK’s leadership, Stalin had promised that the price would be reduced by Rs 3 per litre. After becoming CM, Stalin kept his promise. However, the government was facing a demand of 85 lakh per day. Stalin, on the other hand, wanted Aavin to be a service-oriented company.
Only in Tamil Nadu are dairy and other dairy products sold at a lesser cost. Even Union Minister Piyush Goyal have admitted it. In addition, the government assists dairy farmers with fodder through Aavin. This allows them to obtain milk from farmers with minimal hassle. The cost of fodder is 24. However, we sell it to the farmers at a rate of 21. Every month, we offer 50 bags of fodder to each farmer.
Artificial insemination injection
The government has formed a group known as the “Route Doctors”. Every farmer’s cattle shed is visited by the crew, and routine medical checks are performed. Artificial insemination is being used on cows. Every 10 communities have an officer who checks these standards. The injections are created in an Ooty research facility. Artificial insemination is performed using sperm obtained from both foreign and native Indian bulls.
Dairy farmers can also get government loans. Aavin obtains 60 lakh litre of milk every day as a result of all of these activities.
