Amul infringing on Aavin; TN seeks Centre’s intervention on procurement controversy

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After the recent controversy between Amul and Nandini over milk in Karnataka, now between Amul and Aavin in Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, on Thursday sought the urgent intervention of Home Minister Amit Shah to direct Amul to stop buying Milk from Aavin’s milk barns area right away. .

In a letter, Stalin brought to Shah’s attention the issues arising from the procurement of milk by the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers Union (AMUL) in Tamil Nadu. Until now, AMUL has been selling its products through its outlets in the state.

In Tamil Nadu, as in other states, a three-tiered dairy cooperative system has been operating since 1981, benefiting rural milk producers and consumers. Aavin is our premier collaborative marketing association.

Under the scope of the Avene cooperative, 9,673 milk producers’ cooperatives buy 35 liters of milk per day, about 4.5 thousand members. Under this current arrangement, dairy producers are guaranteed remunerative and uniform prices throughout the year by the cooperative societies. To increase and sustain milk production in the state, Avene provides producers with livestock feed, forage, mineral mixes, and animal health care and animal husbandry services. In addition, it ensures that high-quality milk and dairy products are provided to consumers at the lowest prices, thus improving the livelihood of rural producers and meeting the nutritional needs of consumers.

“Recently we have noticed that Kaira District Cooperative Dairy Producers Association (Amul) has used its multi-state cooperative license to install cooling centers and processing plant in Krishnagiri district and plans to procure milk through FPOs and self-help groups in and around Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Ranept, Tirupattur, Kanchipuram and Tiruvalur districts in Our mandate.

It was the custom in India to allow co-operatives to flourish without encroaching on each other’s dairy territory. This cross-buying goes against the spirit of ‘Operation White Flood’ and will exacerbate consumers’ problems given the prevailing milk shortage scenario in the country. This act of AMUL trespasses on the territory of the Aavin milk shed, which has been tended in a true collaborative spirit for decades.

This move by AMUL will create unhealthy competition between cooperatives that buy and market milk and dairy products. Regional cooperatives were the cornerstone of dairy development in the states. Stalin said they are in a better position to involve and take care of producers and protect consumers from arbitrary price increases.

Stalin urged Shah “I request your urgent intervention to direct Amol to stop buying milk from the Avin milk shed in Tamil Nadu with immediate effect”.