Maharashtra dairy farmers facing severe hardship as milk supply falls amid COVID-19 lockdown

Nashik (Maharashtra) [India], April 12 (ANI): The dairy farmers in Maharashtra's Nashik are facing severe hardship due to COVID-19 lockdown as milk supply to individuals' households and the purchase has witnessed a sharp decline since March 24.
Speaking to ANI, the diary farmers said that the milk sale has gone down as hotels and bakeries are closed and a section of retail buyers have gone back to their hometowns.
Before the lockdown, the dairy farmers used to sell milk at Rs 50-55 per litre and at present, they are selling it at Rs 30-35 per litre as the demand is less.
"We used to sell milk at Rs 50-55 per litre, now we have to sell it at Rs 30-35 per litre. Demand is low as hotels and tea stalls are closed. It is becoming difficult to manage expenses," a dairy farmer said.
"People are not coming to buy milk and at times, we are feeding it to the poor. We are facing a huge loss. We are unable to figure out how would we pay to our labourers and arrange fodder for cattle. Also, transportation has become costly. It has become very difficult for us to survive. The government should extend help to us. No doctors are available to look after cattle. We are following lockdown restrictions and taking all precautionary measures but we need permission to have access to market to sell milk," he said.
They appealed the state and Central government to provide them with means to sell out milk in order to run their dairy farms amid the lockdown.
"We are not getting appropriate prices for the milk. The government is providing us fodder for cattle. But we are facing problem in feeding them. The state and Central governments must pay heed to our problems. As many as 30 people are hired here and we have to give them their salaries," another dairy farmer said. (ANI)