The Maharashtra Government has decided to supply milk powder manufactured from additional milk stock during COVID times. This will be distributed to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under the Amrut Aahar scheme. The government intend to establish nutritional security in the state by supplying milk powder to these special groups.

Around 6.51 lakh children and 1.21 lakh pregnant women in the Maharashtra state will be the beneficiary under this scheme. The scheme will be implemented for a year at the cost of Rs 121 crore. The manufacturing cost of the milk powder is over Rs 246 per kg, it was stated.

Milk powder contains 34 per cent protein, which is essential for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Also read Supply of milk powder to children in Karnataka under Ksheer Bhagya Scheme interrupted due to resource crunch

Conversion of milk during the lockdown period

The state government procured 5.94 crore litre milk from farmers during the lockdown period till 27th July. It was converted into over 4,927 metric tonne of milk powder and 2,575 metric tonne butter.

This announcement will help in clearing up the stocks which got built up in the state during the lockdown period. However this announcement has not covered any benefit for the dairy farmers in their milk procurement prices. Also read Dairy farmers demand Rs10/liter Milk subsidy directly to their Bank accounts

There is no mention of the demanded export subsidy on milk powders . The state has around 60-70000 MT of stocks of SMP alone apart from Butter and ghee. The farmers in the state have been staging agitation against low milk prices of Rs18-20 per liter since July 21st. All opposition parties have joined together to take this agitation further from Aug 1st onwards.