These are the hard times for farmers facing water scarcity and drought in milk producing regions of Gujarat and Maharashtra. While in Gujarat it is getting tough to raise cattle with scarce water and fodder availability, dairy farmers in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra are parting off with their valuable ‘asset’ raising concerns on the future of milk production in the region.
The district administrations in worst-hit parts of Saurashtra in Gujarat are making special allocation of water and fodder for cattle, which continues to provide a livelihood to farmers. The government officials claim to provide an average of 20 litres of water per day and fodder at the rate of ₹2/kg to scarcity-hit regions as a relief measure. Estimates suggest that a mature milch animal would require anywhere between 5 and 8 kg of fodder in a day and about 10-15 litres of water per day.
“Farmers are selling their cattle as cheap as dirt. The trend began two years ago but it became widespread now with drought getting severe. When there is an issue of survival for humans, how can they raise cattle?” informed Vijayanna Borade, a farm expert and activist.
Dwindling production According to Maharashtra’s Dairy Development Department, milk procurement in the Marathwada region has successively gone down by over 30 per cent since April 2014. The region – representing districts of Aurangabad, Latur, Osmanabad, Jalna, Beed, Nanded among others – had reported average 8.64 lakh litres per day (LLPD) of milk procurement in April 2014, which fell to 5.95 LLPD in April 2016.
Such is the extent of distress among the farmers that the cattle is being sold at almost half of the prevailing market price to the animal traders and farmers from nearby regions, he maintained.
“A cross-breed animal with a milk capacity of about 20 litres per day was priced in the range of ₹80,000-1 lakh earlier. Now it is available for ₹40,000-60,000 in parts of Marathwada and Vidarbha,” said SD Wagh, Marketing Manager at Maharashtra Rajya Sahakari Dudh Mahasangh Maryadit – also known as Mahanand Dairy.