Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday expressing concerns about the issues arising out of milk procurement by the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, commonly known as Amul in Tamil Nadu’s dairy producing regions which could affect Aavin, the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Milk Producers Federation, in a fresh row involving dairy corporations.
In the letter, Stalin asked Shah to instruct the Gujarat-based dairy behemoth to cease milk procurement activities in Tamil Nadu immediately as Amul's actions infringe on the dairy producing area of Aavin.
As in some other states, dairy cooperatives in Tamil Nadu have been functioning effectively since 1981 benefiting both rural milk producers and consumers and Aavin has been their apex cooperative marketing federation, Stalin wrote in his letter, reports NDTV.
Stalin clarified that until now, Amul only sold its products in Tamil Nadu through its outlets. However, the state government recently discovered that Amul has been using its multi-state cooperative license to establish chilling centres and a processing plant in Krishnagiri district, according to Stalin.
He added that Amul intends to procure milk via Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupathur, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur districts in Tamil Nadu.
The Chief Minister stressed that it has been standard practise to allow cooperatives to prosper without encroaching on each other's dairy producing areas.
Such cross-procurement contravenes the spirit of 'Operation White Flood' and could worsen the current milk shortage in the country, affecting consumers, he said.
"It has been a norm in India to let cooperatives thrive without infringing on each other's milk-shed area. Such cross-procurement goes against the spirit of 'Operation White Flood' and will exacerbate problems for the consumers given the prevailing milk shortage scenario in the country. This act of Amul infringes on Aavin's milk shed area which has been nurtured in true cooperative spirit over decades," the Chief Minister wrote.
Under Aavin, about 9,673 milk producers cooperative societies are functioning in rural areas and they procure 35 lakh litres per day of milk from about 4.5 lakh members, Stalin wrote, adding that under the current arrangement, the milk producers are assured of remunerative and uniform prices throughout the year by the cooperative societies.
Stalin expressed his concerns that this move by Amul would foster unhealthy competition among cooperatives involved in procuring and marketing milk and dairy products.
"Regional cooperatives have been the cornerstone of dairy development in the states and they are better equipped to interact with and support producers, as well as to protect consumers from arbitrary price increases," he wrote.
"Hence, I request your immediate intervention to direct Amul to cease milk procurement from the dairy producing area of Aavin in Tamil Nadu immediately," Stalin stated.
Aavin also offers various resources such as cattle feed, fodder, mineral mixtures, and animal health care and breeding services to enhance and maintain milk production in Tamil Nadu.
Moreover, it ensures the supply of high-quality milk and dairy products to consumers at some of the country's lowest prices. Therefore, Aavin plays a crucial role in improving the livelihoods of rural milk producers and in meeting consumers' nutritional needs, he wrote.
Last month, before the Karnataka elections, a similar political controversy had erupted when Amul announced its plans to enter the Bengaluru market with its milk and curd products.
The then opposition parties, Congress and JD-S, opposed the move, claiming that it would harm the interests of the local dairy farmers and the state-owned Nandini brand, which is run by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF).