The lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus has hit Agartala’s small dairy owners badly as milk prices have fallen by 50 per cent amid shrinking demand.
Milkmen at Goalabasti where most of Agartala milkmen live, are dumping milk down the drain as because sales are drastically down during the lockdown period. There is no storage facility either.
Goalabasti has nearly four hundred families. They own at least one hundred cows.
Dinesh Ray, 60, said, “Most of the sweetmeat shops are closed during the lockdown. So, naturally, we can’t sell the milk to them. We keep milk for us as required and throw out the rest. We don’t have any other option.”
Another senior resident of Goalabasti , Subhash Ray said that the lockdown also created problem in arranging fodder for the cows.
“There is no fodder for our cows. With the lockdown, our sale of milk came down. As police are on the streets, we don’t go out of home due to fear. We fear we might face starvation,” Ray said.
Mithilesh Ray, Anwesha, Binda and others have similar kind of experiences.
The milkmen used to sell to households at Rs 80 per litre and at Rs 45 to sweetmeat shops and confectioners. The prices have now crashed by half.
Tripura has not yet reported any case of coronavirus. A total of 88 people were tested in the state. A total 5,267 people are under home quarantine and 49 people are under institutional quarantine, according to latest reports.
