Kolhapur: Farmer organizations have threatened to stop supplying milk to bigger cities, especially Mumbai, if the state government fails to intervene in the falling milk procurement prices."On one hand the central government says that it aims to double the income of farmers, for which it is stressing on the need for the farmers to take up allied activities such as milk production. However, it seems that the government seems to be living in fools paradise as since last few months, the milk dairies have reduced the milk procurement prices owing to falling down of the milk prices in the open market,” Raju Shetti a Member of Parliament and the leader of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana told TOI.“The farmers are unable to sustain losses as they are paid much less than the production cost. We are giving a deadline of 15 days to the state government to release the grant of Rs5 per litre directly on the accounts of the farmers,” he said.Shetti also said that if the government fails to meet their demands, farmers from five districts — Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Ahmednagar and Nashik — will stop the supply to Mumbai.The dairies have cut down the milk procurement prices by Rs2 per litre owing to the excessive production. According to the primary estimates, around 40,000 tonnes of milk powder is lying unsold with the manufacturers. Dairy operators cited pilling up of milk powder stocks as the reason owing to the lack of markets. The dairies are facing losses mainly due to unsold milk powder."Currently the market rate for milk is around Rs32 per litre to Rs35 per litre. However, the farmer is getting just Rs25 per litre. The dairies had reduced the procurement price for cow's milk citing the reason of excessive production earlier too,” Shetti said.“This time if the government fails to intervene and release the grants according to the difference in the rates we will stop the supply and then, the government will be solely responsible for the inconvenience caused to the people in the cities," he added.

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