PRICES of daily-use items are continuously increasing, ranging from gas to petrol, diesel, and now even sugar. Regarding this, ‘The Hitavada’ team conducted a ground report and spoke with various dairy operators and cattle owners in Bhopal who rear cows and buffaloes. They stated that keeping cattle is becoming increasingly expensive because dairy farming requires chaff (bhusa), feed, electricity, water, medicine, labourers for cleaning, and vehicles to transport milk, which is causing the expenses of cattle rearing to increase along with rising inflation. However, they are still supplying milk in the city at Rs 70 to Rs 80 per litre for buffalo milk and Rs 55 to Rs 60 per litre for cow milk, but now operating at these prices has started causing difficulties. When dairy operator Ram Singh (name changed), located in Bhanpur Khejra said that they have 300 buffaloes and 25 cows, which are becoming difficult to maintain because the price of one buffalo has reached Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh, but they are still providing milk at Rs 70 per litre. Customers will not take milk if prices are increased.

 

They need employees in the shed for cattle rearing tasks such as chaff, feed, water, cattle medicines, electricity, cleanliness, and other work, the costs of which are increasing day by day while their earnings have remained stagnant. Further, he states that the daily cost of rearing a single cow or buffalo comes to Rs 400 to Rs 450, and sometimes it is even higher. Similarly, another cattle owner, Ramesh, states that he has 200 buffaloes and daily delivers their milk to the city at Rs 75 to Rs 80 per litre. However, now he says that as costs are rising, milk prices will also need to be increased. He mentions that he has 13 employees who assist in operating the shed. Milk is extracted starting at 2 am daily and sent to the cities by 4 to 5 am. Increasing milk rates feels necessary to pay salaries to these employees and for proper operation, because the prices of vehicle petrol-diesel, chaff, feed, etc., are all increasing. Another cattle owner, Kamal, states that if an animal falls ill, then items like calcium, chaff, oil, jaggery, etc., are needed for its treatment. Along with this, the cost of animal medicines is also increasing. Similarly, paying the wages of the employed staff and managing operations is becoming difficult, which is why the need to increase milk rates is being felt somewhere.