Goa Dairy to challenge SUMUL entry in the court, offer higher rates to farmers
GOANEWS DESK, PONDA | 10 February 2016 17:07 IST
Goa Dairy has decided to challenge Goa government’s decision to invite SUMUL to work in four talukas of Goa among the milk producing farmers.
The general body meeting of milk cooperative societies affiliated to Goa Dairy held today was quite stormy as many society chairmen threatened to go with SUMUL if Goa Dairy does not streamline its functioning.
While claiming that the meeting was peaceful, Goa Diary Chairman Baburao Desai however announced that they would pay higher rate to the farmers, on par with SUMUL.
Goa’s milk farmers are divided over the decision of Goa government to invite Gujarat-based Surat District Co-operative Milk Producers' Union (SUMUL) to operate in Goa, to compete with Goa Dairy.
Though Desai said they have decided to follow the legal path to challenge government’s decision, he did not disclose the grounds on which a court case would be filed.
He also claimed that the milk rate offered to the general public as well as fodder rate offered to the farmers by Goa Dairy are the cheapest in India.
Durgesh Shirodkar, a milk producing farmer from Raia in Salcete however disagreed with the contention later, stating that the fodder produced by Goa Dairy is substandard.
Vikas Prabhu, another farmer from Nirankal in Ponda, told the media that Goa Dairy functionaries have been told clearly that they would go with SUMUL if Goa Dairy does not streamline its function.
Both the farmers also alleged that Goa Dairy has recently recruited 71 employees, most of whom are either workers of co-operation minister Mahadev Naik or relatives of the directors of Goa Dairy.
While refuting these allegations, Desai said Goa Dairy has decided to revive some of its old schemes while also introducing new schemes for the farmers.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had earlier said that SUMUL has been invited to Goa to start healthy competition in the milk sector and not to finish Goa Dairy.
The opposition parties in Goa however have made it a political issue, alleging that the BJP government will destroy the co-operative movement in Goa.
