Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 19: J&K Dairy Farmers Association (JKDFA) on Sunday nominated Arif Hussain as Sub District incharge of Jammu district during meeting held in Sunjwan with Gujjar community. Working president of Association Kulbhushan Khajuria, vice presidents, Surjeet Singh, Kishore Kumar, treasurer, Sukh Dev Chowdhary, general secretary, Tarun Sharma and president Jammu province, Sandeep Singh Chib were present on the occasion.
During the meeting, burning issues were discussed which included high rates of Wheat straw, cattle feed and other fodder and an appeal was made to Government to give at least 50% subsidy on wheat straw. Speaking on the occasion, JKDFA working president, Kulbhushan Khajuria said though dairy farming is putting hundred percent efforts to meet demand for dairy produce, the price of milk has dropped and it is now cheaper than bottled water. This has forced hundreds of farmers in the countryside to sell their cows and take up some other jobs. Selling milk to a middleman yields nothing to the farmer. He said dairy farmers after selling their cows, have become middlemen and started purchasing milk from their neighbours. They purchase milk from their neighbours at cheaper rate and sell it at a good price in the town,” he added.
Sadeep Singh Chib in his address said that dairy farmers have been suffering a lot due to the Government apathy and lack of a proper system to encourage milk producers,” he said. He blamed the Government for its indifference towards them, particularly in marketing produce and providing them other support. The production cost of one litre of milk for a farmer is much higher than what he gets because of high input costs. The end of the wheat harvest in the month of March usually brings with it a sense of relief. But during last few years, livestock farmers are far from feeling content.
He highlighted dairy farmers concern about procuring fodder for 100 cows at high rates. He said price of straw across J&K has been rising steadily in the last few years, doubling from Rs 4 to Rs 5 per kg to Rs 12 to Rs 15 per kg. The rising cost of cattle feed has had a direct impact on his rapidly declining profits which results in dropping of profit.”Cattle feed needs to be compensated with green fodder and other animal food which works out to be very expensive,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
