Dairy farmers’ income falls amid curfew

Dairy farmers in Pabna and Sirajganj are reporting a drop in sales revenue, citing that a few companies have either reduced or stopped making purchases amidst the curfew.

Farmers are now depending on local traders to sell their milk at low prices.

Around 34 lakh litres of milk are produced per day by dairy farmers of Pabna and Sirajganj, according to the district livestock offices.

Out of the 19 lakh litres produced in Sirajganj, dairy companies buy 7-8 lakh litres while local traders the rest, said Md Omor Faruk, the livestock officer of Sirajganj.

Around 15 lakh litres of milk are produced in Pabna every day and dairy companies buy 1.5 to 2 lakh litres, said Gourango Kumar, the livestock officer of Pabna.

However, there is no scope of any milk going to waste as many private companies and sweetmeat shops operating in the region end up purchasing leftovers, he said.

A local conglomerate has dropped their daily purchases from their usual 550-600 litres to 300-400 litres, said farmer Md Al Amin of Pabna, adding that they were having to sell off their milk to locals at low prices.

Local traders used to pay Tk 52 per litre but now they pay Tk 50, he said.

The cost of producing each litre of milk is Tk 48 to Tk 50, said Md Saiful Islam, president of Dairy Farm Owners Association of Pabna.

Farmer Md Raju Ahmed of Ramkharua village in Shahzadpur upazila of Sirajganj said his usual daily sales to a cooperative in Baghabari has dropped from 20 jars which are of 40-litre capacity to 16 jars.

Locals pay lower than the rate which dairy companies usually set based on the percentage of fat, he said.