''Prices of commodities such as cattle feed and oil cake are comparatively higher in Mizoram than other states. In average, a single cow can produce eight litres of milk per day. After paying for cow feed, oil cake, mineral, medicines and wages of labours, a dairy farmer virtually has no profit,'' MULCO officials said here today.
Wheat bran now cost Rs 500 per bag (or Rs 14 per kg) in the local market.
To make matters worse, dairy brands like Amul and Nestle are selling their ultra high temperature (UHT) milk at much cheaper prices in Mizoram due to their lesser production cost. MULCO has been making all-out efforts to rescue the dairy farmers. There are around 330 families, engaged in dairy farming under the corporation, who have been left with an uncertain future.
These dairy farmers supply their products to MULCO which markets those in pasteurised form at Rs 12 per packet. Locally-produced milk costs Rs 30 per litre.
MULCO markets an average 7000-8000 litres of pasteurised milk in Aizawl daily, which, however, accounts for only 22.50 per cent of the city's total consumption. A survey, sponsored by MULCO, has found that about 30,476 litres of milk are consumed per day in Aizawl. With unpasteurised milk produced and marketed by private milk producers constituting another 22.50 per cent of the total milk consumption, more than 50 per cent of milk consumed in Aizawl is imported, mainly Amul and Nestle brands.
MULCO has chalked out several measures to increase the productivity of the dairy farmers. Among others, it has applied for wheat bran under open market sale scheme (OMSS) from the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department, but it is not available till date.
''If the farmers get at least 2,000 bags of wheat bran under the OMSS, their condition would be more stabilised,'' MULCO officials said.
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