Cattle keepers drain milk at the gates of Baroda Dairy as the administration fails to pay 60-day due

As a sign of protest against the impending payment of milk for the last 60 days, the cattle keepers of Bhavpura Bujeta village in Dabhoi taluka discharged milk at the gates of Baroda Dairy on Thursday. They have also threatened to go on a hunger strike if their demands are not met.

Baroda Dairy, a leading co-operative sector in the Vadodara district, infuriated the members of the Milk Producers Association of Bhavpura Bujeta village after not being able to pay the 60-day due amount to the cattle-keepers.

Milk producers alleged that Baroda Dairy has discontinued their mandli in the village. Without any prior notice, this decision has come as a shock to the local milk producers. In an attempt to pressurize the administration to resume the village mandli, the protestors took to staging demonstrations, draining their milk, and chanting slogans at the gate of Baroda Dairy.

The people of Bhavpura Bujeta village said, “Milk was the only source of livelihood during the pandemic. The sudden closure of their village milk society by Baroda Dairy, without any notice, has caused huge financial losses to them.” They further added, “At the same time, the condition of people whose sole source of income was by selling milk has become dire after dairy failed to pay money worth 60 days of produced milk.”

The members of the association have also threatened to fast until death if the mandli is not resumed and their payments are not cleared. They have claimed that the administration at Baroda Dairy is to be held liable if something were to happen due to the fast.