SALEM: Dairy farmers staged a protest near Attur on Monday, pouring milk onto on Salem–Chennai National Highway and blocking traffic to demand a hike in procurement prices and waiver of farm loans.The agitation was part of the statewide stir announced by the Tamil Nadu Milk Producers’ Welfare Association.Farmers from Ramanayakkanpalayam, Thennangudipalayam, Appammasamuthiram and nearby villages gathered at Selliyampalayam on the national highway and held the protest for more than two hours, causing severe traffic disruption. Personnel from Attur rural station held talks with the agitators, after which the blockade was withdrawn.Speaking to reporters, dairy farmers accused the govt of neglecting their demands while spending funds to provide cars for legislators. V Rajagopal, a farmer, said, “The state must immediately announce loan waivers and increase milk procurement prices. If our demands are ignored, we will have no option but to consume poison and end our lives,” he said.
