West Bengal: Dairy farmers in Asansol stage protest as they incur losses during lockdown

Amid the extended phase of coronavirus lockdown, dairy farmers in Asansol's Barabani area staged a protest by spilling milk on the road as they are unable to supply milk and feed their animals. The farmers demanded that the government should arrange fodder for their cows and buffalo. The anguished farmers further threatened to commit suicide if the government fails to rectify their problem on priority.

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Speaking to ANI, Vinod Kumar Yadav, a dairy farmer said, "We demand that the government should arrange fodder for our cows and buffalo. The situation is such that the cow fosters here have to manage and arrange food for their cows along with themselves and their family members. Neither the Central government nor the State government is doing anything in this direction."

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Yadav warned the Centre and state governments of a bigger protest if they fail to resolve their issue.

"If the government doesn't step forward to help us, we will be forced to commit suicide. Sweet shops are open here but nobody is buying them so our milk is anyway going waste. We will stage a bigger protest if the Centre and State governments do not help us," he added.

Vikas Kumar Jadhav, All India Yadav Mahasabha State President, West Bengal said that all the dairy farmers are totally dependent on the sale of milk and since the lockdown has been imposed, they are unable to supply milk. Jadhav added that they do not have anything to eat nor to feed their cows. Fodder arrangements should be made for our cows, he demanded.

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