Kolkata: Sweet shops closed, 2 lakh litre fresh milk going down the drain every day

KOLKATA: More than half the fresh milk production in and around Kolkata is getting wasted. This bulk amount — estimated at 2 lakh litre a day — that was primarily sold to sweet shops is going down the drain in the absence of a distribution channel in the retail market. Desperate, dairy farm owners have written to chief minister Mamata Banerjee to seek government’s intervention for a way out.
On Thursday, sweetmakers’ association — West Bengal Mistanna Byabasayee Samity — had also written to the CM, urging for permission to open shops to stem the wastage of milk. Milk is used to make sweets, cottage cheese, paneer, dahi and kheer.
“Sweet shops consume around 60% of the fresh milk produce. After the supply to shops stopped following the lockdown, dairy farm owners are being forced to dispose most of the fresh milk. A small quantity is being sold in neighbouring markets at almost half the price,” said Rajesh Sinha, president of Jorasanko Dugdha Byabsayee Samiti, which has pegged the daily loss at Rs 50 crore.

While some large dairy owners are trying to somewhat salvage the situation by churning cream out of fresh milk, most of the small cowshed owners are left with no choice but to throw away the produce. Though they have approached dairies, they are unable to procure fresh milk due to capacity contraint.
Red Cow, that sells 2.2 lakh litres per day, has suddenly been flooded with 6 lakh litres of fresh milk. “How do I handle this excess? We have 3 lakh farmers in the state, many of whom supply to the sweet shops and tea shops on their own and sell the remaining to us,” said director Narayan Majumdar.
State animal husbandry minister Swapan Debnath on Friday said Mother Dairy and Central Dairy are trying to procure additional milk but their capacity is limited. “We cannot increase productivity overnight and procure more. On the other hand, we have asked farmers to supply cottage cheese instead,” he admitted.
In their letter to the chief minister, dairy owners have also raised the concern over shortage of cattle feed. Sinha said small dairy owners would be left with no choice but sell the cattle or leave them go stray. “If that happens, it will lead to a severe crisis once the lockdown is over,” he warned.