Doodhwallah's 'water mix' jacking up co-op milk sales?

The steep rise in the sale of milk this March to May, logged by well-known dairy co-operatives — Parag and Amul — in the state capital is thanks to the neighbourhood milkmen, reports Santosh Chowdhury.

Milk shortage during summer is routine. However, the steep rise in the sale of milk this March to May, logged by well-known dairy co-operatives — Parag and Amul — in the state capital is thanks to not the local '

HT Image

halwai'

flushed with orders for sweets during the marriage season but your neighbourhood '

doodhwallah'

.

More than 250 small private dairies run by milkmen grappling with a severe milk shortage during the summer season have started buying branded milk in bulk to compensate for the deficit in milk production this summer!

Result? The state's largest cooperative dairy organisation — the Lucknow Co-operative Milk Union Ltd — which sells milk under the 'Parag' brandname is currently selling what it states is a historic 1.50 lakh litres of milk per day compared to its normal milk sales of around 1.10 lakh litres sold every summer season. It's counterpart Amul is selling 50,000-60,000 litres of milk per day in Lucknow which is up from a level of 35,000-40,000 litres recorded during summer months.

"A steep rise of 40,000 litres in milk sales per day is being considered a record in Parag Dairy's history as the local milkman has had no other option but to pick up Parag's 5 litre pack retailing at Rs 95 or Amul's one litre pack of branded milk costing Rs 21 a litre from retailers and mixing water after pouring them into large containers," sources in the Pradesik Co-operative Dairy Federation Ltd, (PCDF) said.

The milkmen in the surrounding regions of Sahajenhanpur, Sitapur and Rae Bareli had also been especially picking up Parag's 5 litre pack in bulk to augment milk supplies, sources said. However, SK Prasad, General Manager, Parag Dairy, when contacted about the 'secret' behind record sales of 1.50 lakh litres of milk commented: "Record sales of 1.50 lakh litres is all right but I have no knowledge of local milkmen buying Parag packets in bulk".

NS Sinha, Amul's Branch Manager based in Kanpur, who also looks after the Lucknow market said the co-operative supplies milk through the normal distribution channels. "Milk demand certainly goes up during the summer season due to shortages. As for the

dudhia

picking up our milk packets we have no knowledge," he commented.