Kolhapur: State dairy development minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil on Wednesday assured the dairies and plant operators to grant Rs 1.5 per litre charge for converting excess milk into powder and butter.
State govt has made it mandatory for the dairies and milk plant operators to pay Rs 30 per litre to the farmers, upon which govt will give additional Rs 5 per litre to ensure milk supplying farmers get Rs 35 per litre in total.
Around 1 crore litres of milk is procured by dairies and conversion plant operators daily, which is converted into powder and butter. At present, the domestic market for milk powder and butter is battling with excess stock.
Prakash Kutwal secretary of dairy welfare association, who attended the meeting, told TOI, “The minister has approved Rs 1.5 per litre to make up for conversion expenses. The govt is not ready to bring down the mandatory procurement price. The export prices are down for milk powder and butter.”
Maharashtra is top milk producing state in India with daily production of 1.7 crore litres. “Of this, nearly 70 lakh litres is consumed directly,” Kutwal said.
