Farmers strike over milk prices: Mumbai may face shortage, Trucks get police protection

The deadlock between the farmers and government is expected to disrupt the supply of milk in Mumbai and Pune.

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Nashik: Amid an agitation by farmers' outfits demanding higher procurement prices for milk, the Nashik administration asked dairy associations to continue supplying milk to cities like Mumbai. They also assured that police protection will also be given to these convoys. The deadlock between the farmers and the government is expected to disrupt the supply of milk in Mumbai and Pune. Nashik Collector Radhakrishnan B informed that 15 milk trucks were dispatched early morning to Mumbai under police protection. The meeting was attended by Nashik Superintendent of Police Sanjay Darade and other senior officials of the local administration. Radhakrishnan said that milk supply to Mumbai from Nashik was "regular" at the moment. As per reports, several farmers' outfits began an agitation to get the state government to hike milk procurement prices by Rs 5, and grant a subsidy of the same amount, per litre. As part of the protest, milk trucks have been stopped, and their contents emptied onto the streets, by agitating outfits in several places in the state. The opposition also created a ruckus on the issue and accused the government of being "anti-farmer" and "indifferent" to their plight. Earlier, agitators stopped milk tankers in various places and emptied them on roads as a mark of protest. Impact of the protest was also felt on the Amul dairy's collection centres at Vasai and Virar towns in the neighbouring Palghar district as the cooperative giant decided not to collect milk from farmers. Amul is said to be the single largest supplier of milk to Mumbai.