Barauni Dairy buys milk cheap from farmers

begusarai: barauni dairy, set up here decades ago by the bihar state cooperative milk producers federation (compfed), is proving to be of little help to around 45,000 milk farmers spread over begusarai, khagaria and parts of patna and samastipur districts, on account of the low price being paid by it them. however, milk farmers have no option but to sell their milk to barauni dairy at a throwaway price as they are unable to preserve and process it into different milk products for better and profitable prices. according to sources, the dairy, through its various cooperative societies formed at the village level, buys milk at between rs 7 and 8 per litre from the farmers. according to farmers, the price being paid to them is unremunerative, being less than the cost of production. "but i am unable to change my business as it has been adopted traditionally by my family based solely on agriculture," said rama kant singh, ex-mukhiya and a prominent milk producer of babhangama village under the barauni block. "barauni dairy is prospering at the cost of milk farmers," said senior samata party leader and inhabitant of manjhaul village. according to him, if barauni dairy does not adopt a pro-milk farmers policy, the latter will be forced to give up their vocation for some other profitable one. he asks, "what is the rationale of selling milk at rs 7 per litre when mineral water is being sold at rs 12 per litre." he also demanded that the dairy management must explain why does it sell milk at rs 14 per litre which it buys at rs 7 from farmers. according to sources, milk farmers are also being exploited in other ways by various milk cooperative societies formed at the village level. "five litres of milk is measured as four-and-a-half litres at the village milk booth," said jitendra prasad singh of village fajilpur under the birpur police station. he said booth operators refuse to buy milk when proper measurement is demanded. "on account of losses suffered continuously for the last two years, i sold my two cows and am trying to sell the remaining three also," said awadhesh singh, a milk farmer of village binodpur under the begusarai block. similar is the comment of an ips officer and resident of village birpur, umesh kumar singh, who still has 10 cows at his village. he says that he suffers a loss of rs 5,000 per month on account of the low price being paid for milk and costly inputs like labour, fodder and veterinary medicines. conceding that farmers should be paid a higher price for the milk, barauni dairy managing director dr b r manubansh, speaking at a press conference on thursday, said that the dairy was paying the maximum possible price of milk, facing as it does the adverse impact of wto and global market policy adopted by the country. he said that the barauni dairy has been able to withstand the adverse impact of global market policy by registering a growth of around 30 per cent in milk collection, 32 per cent in marketing, 16 per cent in fodder sale and 8 per cent in annual turnover. the md said that there are plans to invest around rs 3 crore in the coming year to set up a dairy plant at purnia, a chilling plant at khagaria and 10 milk coolers at lakhisarai, khagaria and begusarai. he, however, evaded the question as to what relief he is going to give to the farmers when the dairy has been able to make a net profit of rs 1 crore in this year.