Boiling Amul issue, but this time in TN as Stalin says Dairy Major ‘infringed’ on Aavin, writes to the Center

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday sought intervention from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to order Gujarat-based dairy giant Amul to desist from buying milk with immediate effect, citing an unhealthy competition with the state cooperative milk producer Aavin.

In a letter to Shah, Stalin urged the Center to address the problems arising from the procurement of milk by the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers Union (Amul) in the milk shed area of ​​Tamil Nadu.

“Recently, the state government learned that Amul has used its multi-state cooperative license to set up cooling centers and a processing plant in the Krishnagiri district,” Stalin said.

In addition, Amul plans to procure milk from Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupatur, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts in and around Tamil Nadu.

“It has been a norm in India to allow cooperatives to thrive without infringing on each other’s milk production area. Such cross-contracting goes against the spirit of Operation White Flood and will exacerbate problems for consumers given the prevailing milk shortage scenario in the country. This act by AMUL infringes on the Aavin (TN Milk Farmers Cooperative Federation) milk shed area which has been nurtured with a true cooperative spirit for decades.”

Amul’s move will lead to unhealthy competition among cooperatives engaged in purchasing and trading milk and dairy products, he said.

“Regional cooperatives have been the foundation of dairy development in the states and are best positioned to engage and nurture producers and protect consumers from arbitrary price increases. I therefore request your urgent intervention to order Amul to desist from procurement of milk from Aavin milk shed area in Tamil Nadu with immediate effect,” said the Chief Minister.

Until now, Amul has only sold its products in Tamil Nadu through its own outlets, Stalin said. However, the state has a three-tier dairy cooperative system that has been in place since 1981 and benefits both rural dairy farmers and consumers, he added.

“Aavin is our main cooperative marketing federation. Within the scope of the Aavin cooperative, there are 9,673 Cooperative Societies of Milk Producers in rural areas. They get 35 LLPD of milk from about 4.5 lakh pouring members. Under this current arrangement, the cooperative societies assure milk producers remunerative and uniform prices throughout the year.”

In addition to purchasing and marketing milk and dairy products, Aavin also provides various inputs to dairy farmers such as cattle feed, fodder, mineral mix, animal health care, and breeding services to increase and maintain milk production in Tamilnadu. Aavin also ensures the supply of quality milk and milk products to consumers at some of the lowest prices in the country.

“Therefore, Aavin plays a vital role in improving the livelihoods of rural dairy farmers and meeting the nutritional requirements of consumers,” he said.

DMK spokeswoman TKS Elangovan said there were problems with Aavin but the state government is working to fix them.

Elangovan said that the problems started during the AIADMK rule and now they were trying to resolve them. He accused the BJP and AIADMK of “talking nonsense” and said this was not a political move.

Speaking to reporters, he defended the government’s move by stating that they want to promote their state product and asked why Amul couldn’t buy milk in UP or Maharashtra instead of coming to Tamil Nadu.

The dispute comes after Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to “strangle” Nandini, the Karnataka dairy cooperative, in the run-up to state assembly elections. This was after BJP leader Amit Shah, who is also a cooperator. and a native of Gujarat, spoke about a collaboration between the two dairy cooperatives. Congress won the Karnataka elections this month.

(With contributions from PTI)