Dairy farmers under the banner of Sahakara Bharathi, a pan-India NGO of cooperatives, will stage a demonstration protesting ₹2 hike in purchase price of a litre of milk and demanding a hike of at least ₹5 a litre, at district office complex in Rajatadri in Manipal, Udupi district, on January 19.
Farmers are unhappy with the decision of the government to allow hike of just ₹2 as against ₹3 proposed by the Karnataka Milk Federation in November last year, said Bola Sadashiva Shetty, President of Udupi district Sahakara Bharathi. With the cost of milk production increasing every year, dairy farmers need adequate price for the produce, he said.
Besides ₹5 hike in milk procurement price, farmers also want ₹5 a kg subsidy for cattle feed, prices of which have increased exponentially, Mr. Shetty told reporters on Monday, January 16, at Udupi.
Sahakara Bharathi wants Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai to lay special emphasis on helping dairy farmers and should provide special grants for the purpose. Increase in the prices of fodder, labour charges, hay, medicines etc., has put dairy farmers in a piquant situation. As there was no support given to dairy farmers, the quantity of milk production has come down in Karnataka. All milk Unions in the State were suffering from financial losses. Dairy farming would get severely affected if the government does not support the farmers.
Mr. Shetty also demanded filling up of vacant posts in the animal husbandry and veterinary services department so as to render proper service to dairy farmers.
