Team herald
PONDA: The Goa Dairy farmers on Saturday said that they will hold protest due to inadequate supply of kadaba fodder to feed their milch animals, which is used to get good quantity of milk from the cattle.
The farmers warned the dairy officials that they will stage agitation if they fail to provide kadaba fodder, which is a must to feed the milch animals, as their livelihood depends on it.
A farmer Anup Priolkar said if the Goa Dairy officials fail to supply kadaba fodder then we will resort to agitation. The officials are giving unsatisfactory reply stating that the prices of kadaba have been raised, but will solve their problems.
“Goa Dairy conducts business because the Goan farmers supply milk to them. But the officials have failed to supply the kadaba fodder and are not serious to solve our problem. We are worried as these officials failed to import and make an adequate provision of stock of kadaba fodder which is mostly imported from Maharashtra and Karnataka,” he added
Kadaba is mostly cultivated in Maharashtra and Gujarat but due to drought in these States, they have almost stopped the supply to Goa, with its prices skyrocketing.
“Some farmers grow green fodder in Ponda taluka but it is on a small scale and for their own use. Kadaba is must for milch animals and without it would be difficult to survive in this business. Atleast for the survival of our cattle, Goa Dairy should take initiative for procuring the same,” he further said.
Meanwhile, Goa Dairy Board of Directors on Saturday held its meeting chaired by Chairman Rajesh Faldesai.
Speaking to media, he said drought has led to put ban on the supply of kadaba and so the prices are hiked. But we would anyhow manage to get it and supply to our farmers by Monday.
He also informed that Goa Dairy would buy buffalo milk at a higher price of Rs 40 per litre from existing Rs 33 per litre. The farmers will benefit by Rs 7 due to this decision.
Everyday around 3000 litres of buffalo milk is supplied by the farmers for processing of milk at Goa Dairy.
Goa Dairy Managing Director Navso Sawant said henceforth Goa Dairy milk will be supplied by adding Vitamin A and D, as per the suggestion of National Dairy Board.
