Amul vs Aavin: Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday requested that Union Home Minister Amit Shah issue instructions to Gujarat-based dairy juggernaut Amul to immediately suspend its milk procurement activities in Tamil Nadu, creating a new flashpoint involving India’s dairy businesses. Stalin wrote to Shah to voice his concerns about the potential effects on Aavin, the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Milk Producers Federation, of milk collecting by the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, also known as Amul, in the state’s dairy-producing districts.
Amul’s Expansion Raises Concerns about Territorial Intrusion
According to Stalin, the Tamil Nadu government recently learned that Amul had been utilising its multi-state cooperative licence to set up chilling facilities and a processing factory in the Krishnagiri area. He continued by saying that Amul planned to buy milk from Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the Tamil Nadu districts of Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupathur, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur. The Chief Minister emphasised that allowing cooperatives to thrive without intruding on each other’s dairy-producing territories has been normal practise.
Clash Over Dairy Territory and Consumer Welfare
According to him, Amul’s efforts infringe on the dairy-producing region of Aavin, go against the spirit of “Operation White Flood,” and could worsen the nation’s present milk crisis, which would damage consumers. Stalin expressed worry that Amul’s action might encourage unhealthy rivalry among milk and dairy cooperatives that are involved in marketing and purchasing. Regional cooperatives are more suited to work with and support producers, as well as to safeguard consumers against arbitrary price rises, according to the author. “Regional cooperatives have been the cornerstone of dairy development in the states,” he wrote. Therefore, Stalin pleaded for your quick action to order Amul to stop obtaining milk from the dairy-producing region of Aavin in Tamil Nadu. Stalin claims that Aavin, our leading cooperative marketing organisation, is in charge of 9,673 rural Milk Producers Co-operative Societies. They get milk from roughly 450,000 members, about 35 LLPD. This agreement ensures milk producers consistent, profitable pricing all year long. To increase and maintain milk production in Tamil Nadu, Aavin also provides a variety of resources, including cattle feed, fodder, mineral mixes, animal health care, and breeding services.
Ensuring Consumer Access to Premium Dairy Products
Additionally, it guarantees that consumers will have access to premium milk and dairy goods at some of the lowest costs in the nation. As a result, he stated, Aavin is essential for enhancing the livelihoods of rural milk producers and satisfying consumer nutritional needs. Prior to the Karnataka elections last month, Amul revealed its intention to sell its milk and curd products in Bengaluru, sparking a political uproar. Congress and JD-S, the then-opposition parties, were against the decision because they believed it would hurt the interests of the regional dairy farmers and the state-owned Nandini brand, which is managed by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF).
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