Sikkim Milk Union hikes procurement rate again

WITH THIS, FARMERS ARE TODAY RECEIVING 135.29% MORE SINCE THEIR EARNINGS IN APRIL 2007
GANGTOK, 06 May: The Sikkim Milk Union [SMU] has enhanced its procurement price for the farmers with effect from 01 April 2012. A press release issued by the Managing Director, SMU informs that the decision on this was accorded by the Sikkim Milk Union Board and the same was concurred by the state government.
The Sikkim Milk Union has shown consistent progress in the last four years by making profit and transferring benefit to the farmers in form of price hike and bonus incentives. To go in tune with the business requirement and to benefit farmers, the Sikkim Milk Union recently revised its procurement and consumer price of milk, the release informs.
In the last four years, the Sikkim Milk Union has revised its farmers’ procurement prices with an increase of about 111.76% from the 2007 levels. The increase was done by Rs. 2 per litre in July 2011, Rs. 1 per litre in October 2010, Rs. 1.50 during the month of March 2010, Rs. 1.50 per litre during June 2009, Rs. 2 per litre during 2008 and Rs. 1 per litre in the month of August 2007.
Now, a further upward revision of Rs. 2 per litre has been provided to the farmers.
The release states that with this revision, the farmers’ procurement has gone up by 135.29% higher than the rates of April 2007 to benefit them.
At the revised rate, the price of average milk having 4.0% Fat and 8.0% SNF milk is paid the rate of Rs.22.05 per litre and the minimum acceptable quality of having 3.5 % Fat and 7.5 % SNF is paid at the rate of Rs. 20.00 per litre and good quality milk with 5.5 % Fat and 8.5 % SNF is paid at the rate of Rs. 26.80 per litre to the village milk cooperative societies.
The newly revised milk payment for the month of April 2012 to the village Milk Cooperative Societies was released by the Sikkim Milk Union on 03 May 2012. Subsequently the village milk societies are releasing the payments at the revised rates to farmers for the milk supplied during the month of April 2012. About 10000 farmers’ families are being benefited out the enhanced procurement milk price, the release adds.