On learning that hundreds of litres of milk were not being bought by dealers in Kashmir’s Srinagar City, the dairy farmers in Ganderbal district emptied their cans of milk in drains, as a mark of protest, on Saturday, 31 January.
The dairy farmers of Lar area in the Ganderbal district are worried about losing their decade-old job, on which their entire livelihood is dependent.
My friend and I travelled to Lar in Ganderbal district and spoke to the people involved in the business.
Zamrooda Banu, 34, a dairy farmer from Repora in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district sold her gold bangles and other belongings to buy 20 cows. She hoped it would help her family.
She, alone, was supplying 30 cans of milk to different parts of Srinagar city. However, all her dreams were shattered on the day she learnt that a single can of milk was not being bought by the dealers.
For the last 20 days, the milk producers of Central Kashmir’s district Ganderbal have been expressing their anger and resentment against the supply of milk from outside to different parts of the Valley.
On Saturday, the milk producers were seen emptying their milk in drains. They blamed the unchecked supply of milk from outside that had affected their trades and have left many of them jobless for the last few months.
Protesting milk producers said that the dealers and public are not buying milk from them, as huge containers of milk (packaged milk) are coming to the Valley every day, which has occupied the markets.
“The buyers we had over the years have stopped the consumption of the original milk. They prefer packaged milk, which is easily available every time.”
Zamrooda Banu
While narrating her ordeal, Zamrooda said that when her 30 cans of milk came back to her, she emptied them down the drains. “Where can the poor go now? I cannot sleep because of this,” she added.
