Milk producers in UP deeply distressed, plans afoot for strike.
Amidst plans for and plans for strike by Milk producers in UP, those in Maharashtra are already on strike today. While milk prices have crashed from Rs 35 per litre to Rs 17 from producers, the Modi govt, committed to serve WTO and foreign producers has ordered import of 10,000 tonnes of milk powder and other products in June by reducing the import duty from upto 60% to only 15%. Maharashtra govt has also not paid the Rs 5 per litre subsidy announced one year back.
Skimmed Milk Powder prices have crashed from Rs 320 per kg to Rs 160 per kg. Imports from foreign producers will further increase the crises.
AIKMS and the AIKSCC, a front of 260 peasant organizations has been calling upon central govt to buy milk at MSP and provide milk free of cost to the village and urban poor. This will improve the income of the poor households also as 30% of peasant income comes from animal husbandry, it will drastically improve the health of Indian children and the Indian economy too will improve. But RSS led NDA govt is not interested as it is firmly committed to serve foreign exploiters.
In June, 2020 Modi govt has also ordered import of 5 lac tonnes of maize at Rs 1800 per quintal, even though the Indian farming community has suffered a price crash to Rs 900 per quintal, because of the anti-farmer attitude of central govt.
AIKSCC and its constituents, including AIKMS have struggled to make central govt see reason and improve MSP to C2 costs plus 50%. But govt is holding brief for MNCs and has allowed further penetration and control by them when it passed the 3 Agricultural ordinances on June 3, 2020. These Ordinances allow MNCs giants like Walmart, Pepsi, Coke, Monsanto, etc, all mainly Western giants to supply costly inputs in agriculture, to purchase directly from farmers and to do contract farming.
Modi govt is ruining Indian agriculture at a faster pace than ever before. Farmer bodies stand committed to fight against this ruin, which will completely erode even the remaining ‘aatm nirbharta’ of hard working Indian people.
AIKSCC is scheduled to announce a huge campaign very soon.
(Dr. Ashish Mital)
GS, AIKMS and WG member, AIKSCC