He said the Karnataka Milk Federation buys milk from their farmers at Rs 27 per litre. In addition, the farmers get Rs 7 procurement subsidy from the government. “I am told by dairies that they are unable to sell the milk they collect. That is why they are not ready to procure milk at a fair price,” said Patil.
Patil produces about 1,000 litres of milk from the 150 odd cows and buffaloes he rears. He claimed KMF sells milk and milk products under the brand name of Nandini in Pune and Mumbai. It is cheaper than the prices of pouched milk sold by dairies from Maharashtra.
“The dairies from Maharashtra buy milk from farmers at Rs 40. We do not get any subsidy from the government,” Patil said. Farmers like Patil and other small dairy operators have written a letter to union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and union cooperation minister Amit Shah, calling for an end to subsidies by some states.
The letter claims that the subsidies are given to woo the farmers as voters. Gujarat, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and some others are also giving subsidies from Rs 3 per litre to Rs 5 per litre, it states. The letter urges the ministers to bring an end to the unequal competition to save the farmers and the tax payers money. They have sought uniformity in milk procurement and selling rates.
