Milk cooperatives go supply-less as strike enters fifth day

Erode, Feb 11 (PTI) The strike called by the Tamil NaduMilk Producers Welfare Association here demanding increasedprocurement price, which is into its fifth day, started tointensify as milk cooperatives in the district wentsupply-less today.

The cooperatives registered no supplies of milk asagainst an average of 1.5 lakh litre per day.

AAVIN officials said their stock of milk and milk powderhas drastically reduced and would last only for one or twomore days.

Milk producers are demanding a hike of Rs eight per litrefor buffalo milk and Rs five per litre for cow''s milk.

Even as supply of the cooperatives started to getaffected, however, private vendors continued sales as usual.

Meanwhile, more than 500 milk producers, including 25women, were arrested in various areas of the district todayfor staging demonstrations demanding enhanced procurementprice for milk.

The demonstrators were arrested in Modakurichi,Ganapathypalayam, Malayampalayam and Chitode areas as theyattempted to conduct picketing.