As the lockdown continues, several milk producers, dairy farmers and sellers have been incurring losses as they cannot collect milk from the farms.

Low demand of milk in Guwahati and in other parts of Assam has worsened the situation.

Chairman of the Sitajakhala Dugdha Utpadak Samabai Samiti Ltd (a milk producers’ co-operative society), Ranjit Sarma, told this correspondent that approximately 5,000 families were associated with their organisation and almost 15,000 litres of milk are wasted daily since the announcement of the lockdown because of outbreak of coronavirus.

He added that since the lockdown had been imposed on the state, residents of several villages had restricted entry of outsiders, including those who are responsible for collection of milk from the dairy farmers.

“Due to this, flow of traffic has also been affected and we are not able to distribute milk. This has happened because the administration has failed to properly make people aware of the dos and don’ts. It has also failed to issue guidelines on movement of vehicles carrying essential items,” Sarma added.

He said apart from the supply, it had become difficult for the milk producers to even transport fodder.

He added that as the production and sale had fallen, the cooperative was suffering a minimum loss of Rs 3 lakh per day.

Sarma said: “We can no longer do anything and it is the government who has to take the initiative. The administration should come forward and help us in collection, processing and marketing of milk in this hour of crisis.” He added that if the government did not act swiftly, the entire market in Assam might crash.

Sitajakhala Dugdha Utpadak Samabai Samiti Ltd announced that till the time, the government or administration did not take any measures to solve the issues, they would not collect, process or market milk in any part of Morigaon, Nagaon and Guwahati.

Sarma added that although people in Guwahati might be hit by the milk crisis, they were helpless as the administration had not taken measures to solve the issues yet.

Anup Rai, a local independent milk seller and producer, said: “The milk market in Assam is almost unorganised and in this time, milk producers are facing a massive crisis.”

Since the lockdown, the sale has also dipped as many people who used to purchase loose milk have stopped buying fearing contamination by Covid-19 virus. The shortage of milk in the state has also affected production of cottage cheese leading to scarcity of paneer.