Bhopal Dairy Farmers Demand Higher Pay from Coop; Intends to Sell Milk to Private Sellers

On Wednesday, the farmers' representative organization of cooperative milk collection societies stated that they get paid less than private vendors in exchange for milk produced on their farms. 

The president, secretary as well as other farmers from the Bhopal Cooperative Milk Federation reached to Bhopal on Wednesday to meet with the federation's managing director, Shamimuddin and the CEO of the Bhopal Cooperative Milk Union, RPS Tiwari, according to secretary Narayan Singh. 

They told Tiwari that the Bhopal Milk Union pays Rs.600 per kg of milk, while private vendors in the area paid Rs.640 for the same amount. As they are incurring a heavy loss, they will sell to private merchants if the cooperative society does not pay them a fair price. 

According to reports, farmers have reduced milk production to cooperative societies due to lower payment, which is why output in Sanchi cooperative has plummeted. 

Farmers and the society officers had gathered from all across the state, including Sangakhedi, Mowgli, Tilawat, Sevda, Harnia, Rampura, and Dhakni committees. 

According to them, the Ujjain and Indore Milk Unions pay Rs.640 per kg to the dairy farmers. However, their counterpart in Bhopal is still opposed to the idea. 

According to the farmers, Shamimuddin stated that the federation was willing to raise milk prices, but the union will be responsible to implement the same. 

According to milk society secretaries, the union secretary has ordered them to wait until January 17. In the past, the secretaries have also discussed the closing of union-run schemes.

Representative Gajraj Singh and others stated that the MD and CEO had taken appropriate action into the matter. A memorandum has also been presented to the management by the farmers. 

Demands of Dairy Farmers: 

Bills should be paid in ten days rather than five. The milk union should determine pricing for buffalo milk based on the amount of fat in it, just as private vendors do. Cooperative schemes that have been closed down should be resurrected.