Number of milk producers with bank accounts rose by 14%: Ministry

The number of milk producers and farmers with a bank account has increased by about 14 per cent, from 49.27 per cent to 63.42 per cent, following the demonetisation, the Union Agriculture Ministry said on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry said that the number of the milk producers and the farmers being paid through cash increased from 23.82 per cent to 72.25 per cent following the government's November 8 move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

"Now only 27.75 per cent farmers are being paid through cash," the ministry added.

"The sale of milk has gone up by 2.81 per cent in December 2016 as compared to December 2015 and the overall sale of milk from April-December 2016 has gone up to 328.91 lakh litres per day as compared with 321.43 lakh litres per day in April-December 2015," said the statement.

Specific instructions were issued to agencies such as the National Dairy Development Board, Mother Dairy, Delhi Milk Scheme and all state Dairy co-operative federations for ensuring direct payment to milk producer's bank account at the earliest.

--IANS

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