Milk producers'' strike enters fourth day

Erode, Feb 10 (PTI) The strike observed by more than60,000 milk producers in the district demanding hike in theprocurement price entered its fourth day today as milkcooperatives here again went almost supply-less.

Authorities at AAVIN milk cooperatives here said they arereceiving less than 10,000 litres of milk per day, as opposedto an average of about 1.5 lakh litres.

The milk producers said the cattle feed price hasincreased several fold and so it is necessary to increase theprocurement price of the milk supplied to the cooperatives.

They are demanding a hike of Rs eight per litre forbuffalo milk and Rs five per litre for cow''s milk.

Addressing the issue in the Tamil Nadu Assemblyyesterday, Dairy Development Minister U Mathivanan said thatthe government had revised procurement price only last monthand that milk producers in TN were paid more than theircounterparts in states such as Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.