Milk stir may shake up Mumbai on Wednesday as supply cut off

Mumbai: Though there was no milk shortage in Mumbai on Monday, collection dropped as most farmers, especially from Ahmednagar and western Maharashtra, stopped suppling to diaries on day 1of the strike. Tankers sent by dairies to pune, Nashik Ahmednagar, Buldhana and Jalgaon too were stopped by protesters, creating a possibility of shortage on Wednesday if stock run out.

Dairy farmers, led by raju shetti’s Swabhimaani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), are protesting the drop in procurement prices and reduction in purchases by co-operatives. They want higher prices for farmers and a Rs  5 per litre direct subsidy.

Collection of over 60 lakh litres of milk was stopped on Monday in western Maharashtra. In Nashik, seven people were arrested for trying to block tankers headed for Mumbai. Also, police served a notice to Ajit Navle, secretary of All India Kisan  Sabha, asking him to not participate in the stir. But  he was part of Monday's agitation.

Shetti has secured the support of Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, ensuring that the state doesn't try to get milk from Gujarat.

R S Sodhi, managing director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation which sells the Amul brand, said, "There's been an interruption in collection, but we are assessing shortfall. Our distributors have stock to last until Tuesday. We are optimistic of procuring normal volumes on Tuesday."

Devendra Shah, CMD of Gowardhan Dairy, said, "There has been a minor disruption. We have stocks for two days but if the blockade continues, the situation could turn worrisome." 

Gokul Dairy, whose headquarters is in Kolhapur, halted collection for the day. "We did so to express our support for the farmers. But our regular despatch of 7 lakh litres to Mumbai continued under police escort," said spokesman Sangram Bhosale.

Those in the western suburbs are relying on buffalo milk from cattlesheds in Jogeshwari-Goregaon to bail them out. Although supply is unlikely to come to a halt, buyers could  be deprived of their brand of choice if the crisis escalates .

Meanwhile, NGO Mumbai Grahak Panchayat wrote to the state asking it to set up an expert committee to establish fair prices for dairy farmers and consumers. MGP chairman Shirish Deshpande said, "The determination of procurement and retail prices is neither scientific nor transparent. Consumers are paying high prices while farmers are not getting fair rates”.