Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal intervention to direct the Union Ministry of Agriculture for initiating major steps to boost dairy sector across the state in general and supplement the income of dairy farmers in particular.
Capt Amarinder, in his letter to the Prime Minister, demanded one time subsidy on the stocks of skimmed milk powder (SMP) at the rate of Rs 50 per kg and Rs 25 per kg on white butter as on March 31, 2018.
He also sought interest subvention on working capital loan availed by State Milk Federations for the milk flush season from November 2017 to April 2018.
Besides, he also urged the Prime Minister to ask the Union Ministry of Commerce to enhance the export incentive on dairy products by State Milk Cooperatives from current rate of five to 15 percent of the value of the consignment.
Capt Amarinder apprised Modi that the dairy cooperatives in the country are passing through tough times due to a steep fall in the prices of SMP and other milk products in the international milk market over the last couple of years.
The fall in the prices has resulted in non-procurement of milk by the private sector thereby putting the entire pressure on the dairy cooperatives, he said adding that the national level stocks of SMP crossed one lakh MTs in November 2017 and it was expected that the stocks will cross 2.25 lakh MTs by March 2018.
Capt Amarinder added that these bold steps taken by the Union Government would go a long way in strengthening the dairy cooperatives besides improving the economic lot of beleaguered dairy farmers in the state.