Dairy farmers demand higher export subsidy, MSP

"Many agriculture farmers have adopted dairy farming as a side business to compensate losses in the crops, while many others are totally dependent on dairy farming. Dairy farming is a cash business which runs the kitchens of rural families on a daily basis," AIPDFA President S. Daljit Singh Sadarpur said at the protest.

Farmers are demanding a fixed price of Rs 30 for cow milk and Rs 50 for buffalo milk, apart from 50 percent export subsidy in place of 10 percent, which the government has on offer now.

Talking to IANS, Sadarpur stressed that dairy farmers are in a bad shape partly because of stocking of three lakh metric tonne condensed milk for export in various warehouses of the country, which could not be exported because of slump in international prices.

"We have demanded an export subsidy of 50 per cent from the government, but it has offered us only 10 per cent. Only three months are left before the off season starts, no one will buy our milk for even Rs 20. Situation will become very bad then for farmers across the country," Sadarpur said.

Farmers have also demanded exemption from GST on all milk products and zero import duty on farm machinery and tools.