Sanguem: The dairy farmers from Sanguem region are bitterly worried about their future as owing to total stoppage of production of cattle feed at Goa Dairy Plant they are compulsorily made to procure feed from private parties making the dairy business unviable.
The situation is literally bad in Sanguem with atleast one family in each month slowly giving up their dairy business, informed a disgusted farmer Anil Kakodkar from Bhati Sanguem.
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Having proudly started the dairy business after having procured Hybrid Jersey Cows under the government run Kamdhenu scheme, Kakodkar thought it would give him and his a family a steady income but since the last couple of years, the things changed bitterly at the Goa Dairy making the business no more viable ultimately making him come out of business early last month.
Incidentally, just like Kakodkar who made a futile attempt to be in dairy, there are many other youth from Sanguem who started dairy business with much vigour but came out of it after seeing the current mess at the Goa Dairy.
The precarious situation in the dairy farming started since few months back when the authorities at Goa Dairy stopped production of cattle feed making the farmers left with no other alternative but to procure the feed from outside parties at a premium.
Another progressive farmer from Sanguem Malgo Gaonkar informed that during the time when Manohar Parrikar was the Chief Minister, the Goa Dairy Farm would provide the cattle feed to the farmers at subsidised rate of around Rs 300 to Rs 400 per bag.
However since the stoppage of dairy feed production at Goa Dairy, farmers are compelled to procure feed from outside parties at a whopping price of Rs 1200 per bag. And the rate is simply increasing by each passing month, informed Gaonkar.
Anil Kakodkar informed that while on one hand, the feeder rates goes on increasing without any control by each passing month there is no substantial increase in the support price or the milk rates provided by the government to the farmers, informed Kakodkar making the stakeholders come out of business rather than running into losses.
Malgo Gaonkar informed that few months back, the milk production in Sanguem alone was 2000 litres. Couple of months back, it came down to 1500 litres and is on an decreasing trend by each passing day.
Gaonkar blamed the present administrative committee for the dairy farming mess and urged immediate handing over the affairs to the Board of Directors as was hitherto done failing which the dairy farming and the Goa Dairy will face the same fate as that of Sanjivani Sugar Factory.
Gaonkar also demanded immediate increase in the support from the present 40 percent to atleast 70 to 80 percent to tide over the increasing rates of cattle feed.
The private parties which presently supply the cattle feed are enjoying merrily at the cost of the dairy farmers who are left with no other alternative but buy the feed at whatever rate they quote.
