Women dairy farmers stare at dry enterprise amid lockdown in Odisha

By Express News Service
JAGATSINGHPUR:  The second wave of Covid-19 has spelt doom for a whole lot of ladies dairy farmers in Jagatsinghpur district who used to promote milk to Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation (OMFED) for a residing.

The OMFED has minimize down on the procurement since lockdown started, accumulating milk from farmers solely on alternate days.

The farmers’ woes have doubled as there aren’t any takers regionally additionally for milk or milk-based merchandise like cheese, ghee and curd with outlets remaining closed as a result of lockdown restrictions forcing them  to go for misery sale.

Sources mentioned, earlier the Cuttack Milk Union – which collects milk from these societies and sends it to OMFED for advertising – used to gather practically 2.4 lakh litre milk each day however is now solely capable of acquire solely 50 per cent of the quota as a result of lockdown.

Milk being a perishable merchandise, OMFED’s lowered procurement is resulting in substantial losses for ladies farmers who don’t have any different supply of revenue.

Desperate, these girls at the moment are promoting milk from door to door at throwaway costs with no choice of promoting cheese, curd and ghee to native stalls and confectioneries amid lockdown.

A lady farmer Malati Das from Ramchandrapur mentioned, ”Earlier, I used to produce practically 16 liter milk by the cooperative society however OMFED is now receiving solely 7-8 litres on alternate days. The low procurement is affecting my household revenue.”

Others like Malati mentioned  even locals are apprehensive to obtain milk merchandise from them as a result of Covid scenario. “There’s no sale and no income. How do we even afford feed for our cattle. The lockdown is giving us sleepless nights,” they mentioned.

“President of Antodaya Mahila Milk Product Cooperative Society in Salijanga village, Shantilata Dwibedi mentioned,”

The society has 40 girls farmers who provide practically 130 litres milk to OMFED however now solely 60 litre is being collected on alternate days forcing most girls to promote at approach cheaper costs. Lockdown has jeopardised  their livelihoods.”

Meanwhile, Manager (laboratory) of OMFED’s Ambasala chilling plant, Ashok Rout admitted to low procurement from farmers in the course of the lockdown.

“Ambasala plant right here is receiving 22,000 litre milk on alternate days towards the each day goal of 40,000 from native farmers,” he added.