If concerned citizens do not raise their voice and rise up as one in protest and if Government agencies do not step up vigil and dole out deterrent punishment, the chances of people, especially children, getting ‘pure’, chemical-free milk are very, very bleak.
An analysis by Government of India, of 1,700 samples of milk obtained from across the country in 2011-12 revealed that those from Goa and Pondicherry were the only ones that could be termed ‘pure’ and unadulterated, while 70 per cent of the samples were adulterated. Across South India it carried between three and seven per cent, while three from erstwhile Andhra Pradesh were found to be ‘unadulterated’.
Defining the term adulteration, Progressive Dairy Farmers’ Association General Secretary K. Bal Reddy said it could be anything from just water to dilute the purity of milk and increase quantity, to addition of chemicals. There was a shocking incident of Kerala banning a particular brand of milk from Andhra Pradesh when they found it contained traces of formaldehyde, a chemical that is used on dead bodies too, he said.
So nothing short of a concerted drive, regular testing and analysis of samples and strict punishment of offenders was the only way to tackle adulteration. This was the message that progressive farmers had to give at a press conference held here on Wednesday to announce the conduct of a 3-day, 4th edition of ‘Dairy Show-International Dairy Conference’ at the HITEX on September 5, 6 & 7.
Association President Jithendar Reddy said that there was a dire need for dairy and agriculture to be given equal importance. Government offers so many incentives for agriculture farmers but does not give the same treatment to dairy farmers. “For any crop, it is only a 3 to 6-month cycle, but for a dairy farmer to get a litre of milk, it takes an average of three years from the time a calf is born and it grows enough to produce milk,” he pointed out.
Mr. Reddy recalled his own experience and said that everyday he sent about 450 litres of cow milk to the market at Rs.27 a litre. “The same cost almost double by the time it goes to the end-user. We need more marketing facilities and a strong linkage between producer, seller and consumer is definitely needed,” he said.
The 3-day show would see over 90 exhibitors showcasing their technologies, equipment and services related to the dairy sector, said Director of Active Group, P.S.L.N. Rao, who is organising the event with the active support of the Department of Animal Husbandry.
