Ambabai Metre is putting off her plans to buy a third buffalo. The farm woman from Hulyal in Aurad taluk, who keeps two buffaloes and a cow, felt she needed additional income and planned to buy a buffalo this year. But she is not so sure now. After the note ban, we have not received the regular payment from our village society, she says.
“We have never been free of problems. But the note ban has worsened our situation,” Ms. Metre said.
While the buffaloes yield around four litres a day, the cow gives out only around two litres a day. The animals yield milk in their lactation cycles that last between 150-250 days a year. “Some times when these cycles overlap, we get 10 litres per day. But then, there are dry periods of around 100 days when the animals don’t calve regularly and we have to feed them, without expecting any returns,” she said.
She gets around Rs. 28 per litre depending on the quality of milk.
This includes the Rs. 4 incentive given by the State government. That comes only once a quarter.
“But, this year, we have not got any money since February, she said. While the incentive is transferred by the government to her account in the primary agriculture cooperative society, the rest is given to her in cash by the village milk union secretary. The society gives us money sometimes once a week and sometimes a fortnight. We were last paid on October 30, but nothing later,” she said.
Gangadhar Patil, who runs a procurement centre for the society in Ekamba village, said they had no money to pay to the suppliers. “Hearing the announcement, we deposited all our money in the cooperative society. But now we cannot withdraw it. The society is not getting new currency and it has run out of old Rs. 100 notes. Unless the government releases enough money or to swap their old notes for new, we will have to tell farmers to wait,” he said.
“Every day, 3-4 farmers come to me asking for money. Some even pick up a quarrel. All I can do is to tell them that it is an all India phenomenon and not something typical of Bidar,” he said.
Milk is a sensitive product. Its production cannot be reduced depending on market trends, said Dinesh Puranik, dairy scientist from the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University.
“Animals cannot be kept unmilked for more than a few hours. A family of milch animal keepers cannot suddenly consume more than what they do every day. It cannot be stored without processing for more than a few days.
“All milk produced in a day has to be sold. Farmers are forced to milk animals and sell the produce, even if they are to do so on credit or deferred payments," Dr. Puranik added.
