Milk boats from the chars

Over time, Tamezuddin has become well-known as a leading milk producer in Dhubri, invited by the district administration for workshops to speak to other agriculturists about taking up dairy farming. He also heads the Chalakura Milon Dugdha Utpadak Somobay Samiti, a cooperative society of 51 milk producers, and one of five such cooperatives on the char.

The dairy farms on the chars of Dhubri district are often projected by government officials as the success story of a people who survive the constant destruction of their lands and property. Behind this success story, however, is a reality that is threatening their livelihoods – a shortage of cattle fodder.

Until 2016, the wheat provided by the centre to Assam under the public distribution system was milled locally and supplied as cattle fodder to dairy farmers at a subsidised rate of Rs. 600 per quintal, explains Dinesh Gogoi, the district veterinary officer at Dhubri. Tamezuddin’s family, for instance, received 25 quintals of subsidised wheat bran every month.

In December 2015, at the Assam government’s request, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had revised the state’s monthly allocation to only rice under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (in a ‘priority’ category) and only wheat under the National Food Security Act (NFSA; in a ‘tide-over’ category). Assam thereafter received 8,272 tons of wheat every month at Rs. 610, and 5,781 tons after July 2016.

But from December 2016, the state has received no wheat under the NFSA. The ministry wrote to the state government on November 30, 2016 that “due to shortage of wheat in Central Pool, it has been decided by the Government of India to allocate rice in lieu of wheat to the States under tide over category during December 2016 to March 2017.”

Since then, the milk producers on the chars have not received any subsidised fodder, except for small quantities supplied as flood relief in August 2017. They are now forced to rely completely on cattle feed in the open market, where the price per quintal is a steep Rs. 2,000. 

This has sent the cost of milk production spiralling, but the market price of milk is still Rs. 40. "Considering the cost of cattle fodder today, we will be able to survive only if the price of milk goes up to Rs. 50 or more,” Tamezuddin says.

Tamezuddin lives in a joint family of 35. He and his five brothers, Jamir Ali, Omar Ali, Abdur Rahim, Abdul Kasem and Nur Hussain, share the dairy farm work. The family cooks in a single kitchen. They have around two acres of agricultural land, where the women grow different crops. While the family's daily income from milk production may seem substantial, profits are not much when divided between six different family units. 

“Dairy farming is a labour-intensive activity," Tamezuddin explains. "Cross-bred cows need fodder round-the-clock. They are prone to diseases and need an attendant all the time.” Timely intervention from a veterinary doctor is difficult in this area, Tamezuddin says, because of the acute shortage of government veterinary staff. When a doctor is urgently needed at night, a special ferry has to be hired, which costs as much as Rs. 2,500-3,000.