Placing their demand for better quality of cattle feed and a reasonable milk price, farmers said that if Goa Dairy can provide a strong farmer-friendly base, then farmers would not look for an alternative.
“Monopoly is always dangerous to the co-operative sector and so a dual option will always be in the interest of farmers,” Shivanand Bakre, a farmer from Sankhali running Vithalapur Milk Society, told media persons on Thursday.
Bakre, along with farmers from Sattari, Quepem and Canacona jointly briefed the media and stated that SUMUL’s introduction will bring in healthy and fair competition. Bakre said the SUMUL launch has given the Goa Dairy management an opportunity to rethink on what led farmers to opt for an alternative.
“If farmers feel that the service provided by Goa Dairy, in case of cattle feed and price to their milk is good, then they won’t opt for another dairy,” he added.
The farmers alleged that Goa Dairy has failed to provide better cattle feed as a result of which milk production and quality has shown no improvement. “On the other hand, SUMUL on a trial basis for four months had provided cattle feed, which showed tremendous improvement in milk quality,” they said demanding that the cattle feed factory run by Goa Dairy be handed over to the government for improvement.
Farmers are currently offered rates varying between Rs 20 and Rs 24 per litre for the milk they supply, along with 40 percent of the rate as support price by government.
Bakre claimed that farmers from Bicholim, Ponda, Pernem and Salcete are looking at a second option in the form of SUMUL.
