Here's why Amul has urged govt to delay ban on small plastic straws
The company has made their request in a May 28 letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, ahead of a July 1 ban on straws bundled with small packs of drinks and dairy goods, a market estimated by an industry association to be worth $790 million.
FollowAmul, India's largest dairy company, has urged the government to postpone a proposed ban on small plastic straws, claiming that the measure will have a "bad impact" on farmers and milk consumption in the world's largest producer of the commodity.
The company has made their request in a May 28 letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, ahead of a July 1 ban on straws bundled with small packs of drinks and dairy goods, a market estimated by an industry association to be worth $790 million. Every year, Amul sells billions of little dairy cartons with plastic straws attached.
The move has alarmed Amul and global beverage giants such as PepsiCo Inc and Coca-Cola, especially after the government refused to adjust its stance and instead ordered firms to convert to alternate straws, according to Reuters.
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The $8 billion Amul firm claimed in a letter signed by Managing Director RS Sodhi that straws assist increase milk consumption and that the ban, which is part of PM Modi's campaign to eliminate polluting, single-use plastic, should be delayed for a year.Â
Sodhi said that a postponement would "give great relief and benefit" to 100 million dairy farmers, who "protect our food security in terms of milk and milk products."
The Prime Minister's Office did not reply to the request for comment.
According to a person acquainted with the government's thinking, straws are a "low-utility product" that should be replaced with paper straws or packets with redesigned spouts. Sodhi declined to comment on his letter, but stated that Amul may be forced to offer packets without straws after the prohibition takes effect on July 1.
Small beverage packs combining juice and milk products, priced between 5 and 30 rupees, are highly popular in India and part of a much larger industry for similar beverages.
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Amul, which is based in PM Modi's home state of Gujarat in western India, is also known for its plastic pouches holding milk, cheese, and chocolates.
Top-selling beverages include Pepsi's Tropicana juice, Coca-Maaza, Cola's and Parle Agro's Frooti mango drinks. According to industry estimates, 6 billion of these packets are sold in India each year.
