Sources in Aavin said that the federation’s 21 dairies in the State are at present handling 30 lakh litres of milk a day, which is 8 lakh litres more than last year’s daily average.
In Salem, against last year’s 4.11 lakh litres/day of procurement, it is buying 5.26 lakh litres. Similarly in Madurai, as against last year’s 1.64 lakh litres, it is getting 2.77 lakh litres, which is a 60 per cent increase.
“Normally, in the flush season we get additional milk of about 2 — 2.5 lakh litres/a day. But this time, it is an extraordinary inflow,” the source explained.
Average per day procurement in 2010-11 was 20.67 lakh litres/day, in 2011- 2012 it was 21.41 lakh litres, in 2012 — 13 it was 24.36 lakh litres, in 2013- 14 it was 23.22 lakh litres, in 2014 — 15 it was 23.68 lakh litres and in the current year, it stands at 28.59 lakh litres.
“We are not saying ‘no’ to our cooperative society members but only refusing to purchase milk from vendors. As it is, we are converting milk to butter and powder but there is a limit to everything,” the source explained.
K.A. Senguttuvel, Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Welfare Association, said that many private players have stopped purchasing milk, completely wound up operations or reduced procurement price, causing the increase in milk supply to Aavin. “The reason for this is reduction in prices of milk powder in the international market. It is being sold at Rs. 140-150/kg. But it costs Rs. 240/kg to produce milk powder. Hence many dairies used to convert milk to powder and butter.
Powder plants
In such a situation, we can only request Aavin to utilise the powder plants belonging to private dairies to convert milk so that producers are not put to hardship,” he said.
