Violent protest at Sabar Dairy; police resort to lathicharge, tear gas

Sabarkantha: Thousands of farmers and cattle rearers staged a protest outside the Sabarkantha District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (Sabar Dairy), demanding a 25% hike in milk procurement prices. Angered by reduced milk price incentives, the protesters stormed the dairy premises, broke metal grills, vandalized CCTV cameras at the main gate, and pelted stones. At least three people were injured in the violence, prompting police to fire tear gas shells and use force to disperse the crowd. The agitators also blocked the Himmatnagar-Talod highway, severely disrupting traffic. Heavy police deployment has been enforced in and around the dairy.

Local MLA Dhavalsinh Zala joined the protest in support of the dairy farmers, further escalating tensions. Protesters allege that Sabar Dairy deployed bouncers to suppress their demands. They are calling for a 20–25% increase in milk incentives and say they were denied the right to raise concerns about fair compensation for their labor.

According to farmers, Sabar Dairy had allocated ₹602 crore for bonus payments last year, which led to a 17% rise in milk prices. This year, the allocation has dropped to ₹500 crore, limiting the incentive increase to just 9.75%. This sharp decline in bonus payments is at the heart of the unrest.  DeshGujarat