Dairy farmers surround Milco company demanding payments for supplies

September 4, 2018 by

More than a thousand dairy farmers surrounded the Anuradhapura Divisional branch of Milco Company and detained officials yesterday (3rd) demanding arrears of payments due to them for the milk supplied to the company.

Mr Susantha Kumara Navarathna, the convener of the National Center to Protect Dairy Farmers attached to All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation and several officials of the Center too were present.

The dairy farmers who had arrived at Anuradhapura from Medawachchiya, Kebethigollawa, Kahatagasdigiliya, Rambawewa, Nochchiyagama in Anuradhapura district marched from the Central Market along Maithripala Senanayaka Mawatha to Godage Mawathashouting slogans and displaying placards demanding their payments for the milk supplied by them.

The Manager of the Divisional branch of Milco Nadun Welarathna said three instalments of farmers’ payments from 16th to 31st July have been already credited to their bank accounts. However, the farmers, disagreeing, demanded that their arrears for the period ending on 15th August should be credited and they would not leave the site until that was done.

After a discussion between the two parties, the Divisional Manager gave a written promise that farmers’ demands would be fulfilled.