Amul Urges PM Modi To Delay Plastic Straw Ban. Here's Why

Amul made its appeal in a letter that was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office ahead of a July 1 ban on straws.

India's biggest dairy group Amul has written to the government urging it to delay a planned ban on tiny plastic straws, saying the move will have a "negative impact" on farmers and milk consumption in the world's biggest producer of the commodity.

Amul made its appeal in a letter reviewed by Reuters, dated May 28, that was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office ahead of a July 1 ban on straws packaged with small packs of juices and dairy products, a market estimated by an industry body to be worth $790 million. Amul sells billions of small dairy cartons with plastic straws attached every year.

The decision has spooked Amul and global drinks majors including PepsiCo Inc and Coca-Cola, especially after the government declined to change its stance and asked companies to switch to alternative straws, Reuters previously reported.

In its letter, signed by Managing Director RS Sodhi, the $8 billion Amul group said the straws help promote milk consumption, and called for the ban - part of PM Modi's drive to stamp out polluting, single-use plastic - to be postponed for a year.