In the past few days, there has been a severe shortage of Aavin milk. In this situation, should the summer heat be blamed without increasing the procurement price? PMK leader Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss has asked.
In Tamil Nadu, including Chennai and all other districts, there has been a severe shortage of Aavin milk for the past few days. It is worrying that the government has failed to ensure the uninterrupted availability of Aavin milk, which is a boon to the poor and children, for all people.
On behalf of Aavin, 31 lakh liters of milk were being sold every day across Tamil Nadu. In Chennai alone, more than 16 lakh liters of Aavin milk were being sold daily. However, over the past few months, Aavin milk sales have gradually declined. Reports have emerged that Aavin milk sales across Tamil Nadu have been reduced by one-third overall, and by about 20% in Chennai.
Due to the shortage of Aavin milk, the people of Tamil Nadu have been affected in two ways. First, the milk sold through Aavin is comparatively pure and unadulterated. Because of this, doctors recommend that Aavin milk be given to everyone, including senior citizens and children. However, since there has been a severe shortage of Aavin milk, it has become impossible to provide quality milk to both children and adults.
Secondly, due to the shortage of Aavin milk, people are forced to buy private company milk at a higher price. Compared with Aavin milk, private companies’ milk costs Rs. 16 to 24 more per litre. Since there is a shortage of Aavin milk, the poor have to spend at least Rs. 750 more every month. This is a huge burden for them.
Amid the severe shortage of Aavin milk, which has caused great concern and anger among the poor and middle class, the Aavin company does not appear to be worried at all about it. The company is trying to brush aside the issue very easily by saying that the shortage is due to reduced milk production because it is summer. This is not true.
Over the past five years, Aavin’s milk procurement has been steadily declining. In 2021, Aavin’s milk procurement stood at 4.1 million liters per day. It fell to 3.8 million liters in 2022 and 3 million liters in 2023, and now it has dropped further to 2.8 million liters. In other words, it has come down to two-thirds of what it was.
The reason Aavin’s milk procurement has fallen by 13 lakh liters is that its procurement prices have not been increased. Along with the procurement price previously offered by Aavin—Rs. 35 per liter for cow’s milk and Rs. 44 per liter for buffalo milk—an incentive of Rs. 3 per liter is being provided. However, private companies purchase milk by paying up to Rs. 12 more per liter than that. In line with that, Aavin cannot increase its procurement unless it raises its milk procurement price.
But neither the Aavin company nor the government has realized this. They are saying that Aavin’s milk procurement has not declined, and that only a small increase has been made due to the summer heat. The Tamil Nadu government must come out of this illusion. It must identify the real reason for the decline in Aavin’s milk procurement and immediately rectify it.
Anbumani has urged that Aavin’s milk procurement price be increased by at least Rs. 10 per liter and procurement be boosted. Through that, he said, it must be ensured that Aavin milk is available without interruption across the state.