VADODARA/ ANAND: Bharatiya Kisan Union (A), a farmers’ body, on Wednesday issued a 15 days ultimatum to Amul Dairy and Gujarat government to resolve problems faced by lakhs of milk producers in the state.
The body has threatened that if payment of milk producers are not regularized within a fortnight, it will stop supply of milk for which it will hold state-wide agitations.
On Wednesday, the union, submitted a memorandum to Amul Dairy’s management and Anand district collectorate threatening of a 1946-like milk strike in which milk was stopped from reaching the erstwhile Bombay Milk Scheme
“Since demonetisation, lakhs of farmers in Gujarat are not getting regular payment for the milk that they pour at village level milk societies on daily basis. Seven percent of these milk producers are women for whom dairy sector is the only source of their livelihood. If they don’t get their payments on time, they will no longer continue pouring milk at ‘mandalis’ which ultimately will mean that consumers too won’t get their daily milk,” said Ravi Patel, president of Gujarat unit of Bharatiya Kishan Union.
The body said that lakhs of farmers are forced to travel anywhere between 10 to 12 kms, stand in long queues to get their payments.
“The payments by milk unions of Gujarat are done at every fortnight but in order to get the payments, milk producers are being forced to travel long distance and often return empty handed,” he said.
