Himachal: Milkfed defends 20-litre milk procurement cap

Amidst sharp criticism of its decision, Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation (HP Milkfed) today defended its move to impose a maximum procurement limit of 20 litres of milk per dairy producer per day.

“The purpose of this arrangement is to bring more new dairy farmers into the cooperative framework and create additional opportunities for increasing the income of rural households,” said an official spokesperson of the HP Milkfed. “This decision is expected to ensure that larger number of farmers sell their milk produce at an increased MSP, increase the registration of new dairy producers in the cooperative sector, and improve the income and economic condition of families engaged in dairy farming,” he said. The decision was taken in the interest of dairy farmers across the state and with an objective of extending benefits of the minimum support price (MSP) to a larger number of rural families, he said.

“The primary objective of the MSP initiative is to ensure that its benefits are not limited to a small number of producers but reach a wider section of dairy farmers, particularly small and marginal,” he said.