Give subsidy of Rs 5/l on milk to farmers, demands farmer leader Shetti

PUNE: Farmer leader Raju Shetti has demanded a subsidy of Rs 5/litre on milk for farmers - like that provided in Karnataka - as dairies are paying only Rs 15/litre, which is less than the production cost.

“As export of milk powder has almost stopped due to subdued international prices, we had asked central government to facilitate exports. However, the union agriculture minister strangely asked us to set up co-operative like Amul to use the excess milk, a thing we cannot do overnight,” the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Shetti said that with a ban on cow slaughter, Indian farmers did not have option like their counterparts in the European Union EU to reduce the cattle strength.


Along with a subsidy of Rs 5/litres for the milk producers, Shetti has also demanded creation of a buffer stock of 5 lakh tonnes of milk powder.

Presently, Maharashtra farmers have been receiving Rs 16/litre to Rs 20/litre for cow milk. “The cost of production of cow milk is Rs 35/litre,” said Shetti.