Kerala has imposed a blanket ban on procuring milk from the state claiming it is adulterated
Farmers pour milk on the road after milk societies in Kerala refused to buy from them on Thursday. (Photo: DC)
Coimbatore: Having stopped the purchase of vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala has now imposed a blanket ban on procuring milk from the state claiming it is adulterated. Milk societies in Kerala, which were buying milk from farmers in Coimbatore, have stopped purchasing. Over 50 farmers from villages located on the Tamil Nadu- Kerala border used to supply upto 10,000 litres of milk to milk societies in the neighbouring state on a daily basis.
Scores of milk vendors were sent back from Kerala, which is questioning the quality of milk supplied by them. Over 500 families of cattle breeders from border villages such as Chinnampathy, Navakkarai, Puthupathy, Rangasamudram and neighbouring areas have been making a living by supplying milk to Kerala for the last several decades. Farmers feel it is not the issue of quality but parochial politics that has led the ban on milk supplies from Tamil Nadu.
“We, farmers supply fresh milk within few hours of milking, and there is no chance for adulteration. We transport the milk to societies in Kerala that are located just a few kilometers away. This is the first time; we are facing hurdles apparently due to some political interference there,” he said.
Upset on being turned away, the farmers staged a protest by pouring thousands of litres of milk on the Walayar road on Thursday morning. They also raised fears that their milk may go unsold and they would incur heavy losses if societies in Kerala continue to reject their produce.
“We got a better remuneration by supplying milk to Kerala. For the price offered in Kerala is better than the procurement price of Aavin and other private dairies,” the farmers said. The anxious farmers have decided to take up the issue with the state government to find an amicable solution to the issue.
Meanwhile, K. A. Sengottuvel, president of Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Welfare Association said that supply of milk from organised private players to Kerala has also come down by 50 per cent over the years. “The neighbouring state has gradually increased milk production and brought down the procurement gradually,” he said.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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