Can Amul products be considered "ahimsa" products
BVKS Sanga
BVKS Sanga
BVKS Sanga
Sent: 16-06-2021 3.23.40 AM
PAMHO AGTSP
While I was studying in Vallabh Vidyanagar, I had the opportunity to
visit the dairy plant in Anand as the parents of some of my classmates
were employees of NDDB (National Dairy Development Board). H.G.
Akincana Krishna Prabhu used to conduct programs at NDDB colony at
that time.
From my conversation with my classmates and from my visits to the
plant what I gather is that Amul is simply a marketing brand under
which milk products made by different dairy plants regulated by NDDB
are sold. Being simply a marketing brand it has no control over the
treatment of cows owned by farmers. The NDDB also has no influence
over farmers in regard to treatment of cows. If they want to they
could require farmers to follow ahimsa standards with periodic
certification and surprise checks. Somebody can correct me if I am
wrong but the cooperatives themselves have little interest in ensuring
ahimsa standards are followed by hundreds and thousands of small
farmers who supply milk to these dairy cooperatives. Thus the claim
that Amul sells ahimsa products is baseless in my opinion.
The Amul dairy is actually a moniker for the Kaira District
Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union which is headquartered in Anand.
The union was set up by poor farmers to protest against the milk
cartel circa late 1940s. The success in Anand was later replicated at
other places in Gujarat. When the White Revolution of India was
gaining traction around 1970, in order to expand the market while
saving on advertising and avoid competing against each other, the
Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF), an apex
marketing body of these district cooperatives, was set up in 1973.
The GCMMF is the exclusive marketing organisation for products under
the brand name of Amul and Sagar. None of these brands (Amul, Sagar)
or the underlying marketing organization GCMMF, or the dairy
co-operatives or the NDDB itself has ever made any claims of ensuring
ahimsa standards. The commercial dairy industry in India is guilty of
the same crimes that are ascribed typically to the West:
https://thecsrjournal.in/csr-reality-dairy-industry-cows/
Hare Krsna
Your Servant,
Radhananda Dasa
BVKS Sanga
dear sridhara syama dasa prabhuji,
all glories to srila prabhupad. all glories to guru and all glories to sri sri gaura nitai.
please accept my humble obeisances.
often srila prabhupada mentions that whole vedic civilization is based on cow. so, your posting is apt.
i hope the following information may be helpful in this regard :
Ahimsa cow products : It is assumed that the definition covers the milk, milk products obtained from indian indigenous cow, which along with its calves, bull are taken care of till their natural death.
We have two types of milk, viz A1 milk and A2 Milk.
A1 milk is obtained from cows of Western origin like Holstein Friesian, Jersey etc. and yields large quantities of milk.
The jersey, HF etc. cows produce A1 milk where this genetic variant of beta-casein is not found. On the other hand, their milk contains a poisonous chemical named Casomorphine & due to this, it is said to be responsible for diseases like diabetes, cancer, Heart Disease & Asthma.
The quality of milk is not at all good, but the quantity is more.
A2 milk, on the other hand, is obtained from cows of Indian origin like Gir, Sahiwal etc
Milk of Gaumata is known as A2 milk. Gaumata produces A2 beta-casein a genetic variant of Amino acid-like Proline bonded with another amino acid Isoleucine, which is potent in fighting against many diseases like obesity, Joint pain, asthma, mental problems etc
The Quality of Milk is best on the earth; however, the quantity is less.
If we consider Techno – Economic analysis of milk, the price of a2 milk will be costing differently in different parts of India depending on the breed, availability of fodder, cost of labour etc.
As per the reports available in internet indigenous cow population in india is around 20 million. (maximum) for a population of about 1366 million At any given point of time only 50% (approximately) of cows will be lactating. The pricing of the cooperative milk societies in india for the milk being procured is based on % of fat content. As the fat content of cow's milk is lower than that of buffalo's milk, the cow's farmer is paid lower (maximm rs. 50 per litre).
Medicines produced from panca gavya products (indian breed of cow's milk, curd, ghee, urine and dung) are now being used to treat the deadliest diseases like cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, disease related to lungs, gall bladder, liver etc.
With this low income solely from milk and without using cow's urine and dung the average farmer may not be in a position to provide us with“ahimsa a2 milk” at such lower rates.
Some of the reports found in internet are given below for understanding the price of milk:
From July 16, Bengaluru Milk Union Ltd. (BAMUL) reduced the procurement price by ₹2.5 a litre. Over two earlier rounds, it had reduced the price by another ₹2.5 a litre. Now, the farmer gets ₹24 a litre, down from the pre-COVID-19 lockdown high of ₹29 19th july 2020.
Currently farmers in Maharashtra were getting Rs 28 per kg for cow milk while for buffalo milk it was Rs 40 a kg, said Sodhi. Amul will look at the demand and supply situation and will increase the procurement prices in the coming month, Sodhi said 11 jan 2021
Majority of farmers are poor with low education, vulnerable to physical and economic risks, and financially stressed with zero savings or worse, indebtedness. As agriculture is in itself a risky financial and social enterprise, the pressure for the farming families to stay afloat is saddling. 11.07.2019
In Maharashtra, private dairies in districts such as Pune, Solapur and Osmanabad were paying a procurement price of up to Rs 32.50 per litre for cow milk with 3.5% fat and 8.5% SNF until early March.
At that time, the district cooperative milk producers unions of Pune (Katraj Dairy) and Kolhapur (Gokul Dairy) were procuring the same milk at Rs 31 and Rs 29 per litre respectively.
But after the announcement of the lockdown from March 24 — which led to the closure of hotels, restaurants, and tea shops along with no offtake from institutional consumers such as caterers, ice-cream makers and sweetmeat sellers — the same private dairies brought down prices to as low as Rs 19-20 per litre. While the Kolhapur union continued to pay Rs 29, the Katraj Dairy reduced its procurement rate to Rs 22/litre.
Subsequently, following the Maharashtra government coming out with a scheme to procure up to 10 lakh litres per day (LLPD) of milk from dairies for conversion into skimmed milk powder (SMP) and white butter, the Katraj Dairy as well as many private dairies started paying Rs 25 per litre.
May or june 2021.
Only Amul (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation) is still giving farmers a rate of Rs 650-680 per kg fat, which translates into Rs 43.5-45.5 per litre for milk with 6.5% fat and 9% SNF milk,” sources in the dairy industry said.21-May-2020
Price of Mother Dairy cow milk too has been raised by Rs 3 per litre to Rs 47 per litre. In NCR, Amul Gold and Amul Taaza will be costlier Rs 2 each to Rs 55 per litre and Rs 44 per litre respectively. Cow milk will now be sold at Rs 44 against Rs 42 per litre earlier. 14 dec 2019
one of the the pricing of milk (in india) analysis is avialble at : http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/resource/view.php?id=4504
i am aware that the sangha does not permit the enclosures / annexure. considering the importantce of using panca gavya products under the present turbulent conditions, cow care material prepared by Rasthriya Kamadhenu Aayog, Govt. of India, is enclosed.
Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics Kenneth R. Valpey (HH krishna kshetra swami) is also recommended by rashtriya kamadhenu aayog, govt. of india for cow care.
with kind regards
pln prasad
visakhapatnam
On 15-06-2021 07:42, BVKS Sanga wrote:
BVKS Sanga
I would like to hear from devotees in Gujarat who know a thing or two about how far this is correct. Is it true that local farmers who sell their milk to Amul dairy do not sell their cows (for slaughter etc) when they stop giving milk. Similarly what about the male calves that are born to the milk cows owned by these small farmers who supply milk to Amul dairy.
das,
Jaya Nityananda Dasa
("Nandagrama" Varnasrama Community Project)