A number of dairy farmers staged a protest outside the Chakkar Milk Plant in Balh on Thursday, expressing strong opposition to recent policies introduced by the Himachal Pradesh Milk Federation. Protesters claimed the measures, including a cap on milk procurement, monthly plant holidays and delays in payments, were adversely affecting their livelihoods and placing additional strain on the rural economy.
Holding placards and raising slogans against the federation management and the state government, farmers demanded the immediate withdrawal of the new regulations. They alleged that frequent policy changes had created uncertainty and financial hardship for dairy-producing households across the region.
Milk Producers Society president Anil Jamwal criticised the federation’s decision to limit milk procurement to 20 litres per producer per day. Displaying milk cans during the demonstration, he said farmers were being forced to dispose of surplus milk as there were few alternative markets available. He added that producers supplying 50 to 100 litres or more each day were incurring significant financial losses due to the restriction.
The protesters also objected to the federation’s decision to observe four holidays each month. Farmers argued that milk production was a continuous process and livestock could not be prevented from producing milk on non-working days, leaving them with excess milk and no assured buyer during plant closures.
Women dairy farmers from Randhada, Bari, Kotli, Balh and neighbouring villages also joined the protest. Participants, including Meena and Asha, said dairy farming was the primary source of income for their families and that the recent decisions had jeopardised their financial security despite their sustained investment in animal husbandry.
Another major concern raised by the farmers was the delay in payments for milk supplied to the federation. They said irregular payments made it difficult to purchase cattle feed, medicines and other essential inputs required for maintaining dairy operations.
Responding to the protest, plant engineer Vishwakant Sharma acknowledged that some of the concerns raised by farmers were genuine and said the issues would be forwarded to higher authorities for consideration. The protesters warned they would intensify the agitation if their demands were not addressed.
