Dairy farmers have unofficially raised prices of milk by Rs 2 per liter and hinted at further increase while City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has announced to crack down on milk wholesalers and retailers overcharging for the sale of milk from today.
Milk as an essential commodity was being retailed at Rs 30 per liter, which was also against the official milk price Rs 28 per liter fixed by the CDGK for retail market. Now milk is being retailed at Rs 32 per liter increased by Rs 2 per liter, which was previously sold at Rs 30 per liter. Milk price in the wholesale market has also been moved up by at least Rs 2.88, was being sold at Rs 28 per liter increased to Rs 29.12 per liter.
The representatives of dairy farmers associations told Business Recorder on Friday that the farmers had no other option than to increase prices of milk by Rs 2 per liter in retail and Rs 2.88 in the wholesale markets.
"The farmers are continuously striving to meet the cost of milk production which is higher than its selling prices, therefore, it was inevitable to increase the prices for us to survive," they added.
Price of every single item used in the cattle feeding as fodder has soared by manifold while the increasing prices of petroleum, gas, water, and electricity have made it worse for dairy farmers to continue the milk sale on previous rate, they elaborated.
They said that despite the stern action expected by the CDGK's assigned magistrates, the dairy farmers would insist on the increased milk rates to sell it. "Despite knowing that the CDGK would take stern action against the dairy farmers, they have increased the milk price because there was no other way left for their survival and were ready to confront any kind of crackdown by the government," they added.
They said that they could not shut their businesses because CDGK would take stern action against them on the charge of overpricing on milk. They said that farmers had submitted their demands to the CDGK for relief but CDGK did not heed on their demands, which consequently made them compel to increase milk prices unilaterally without informing CDGK on the issue.
Dairy farmers held a meeting with the CDGK officials and told them that they were going to increase the milk prices but they replied us that the issue will be discussed a month later and were told to follow the existing CDGK's price list of essential commodities, they said.
The CDGK official outlined its crackdown plan against the profiteer on the sale of milk and said that it would launch an anti-profiteering drive by today to bring the unofficially increased in the prices of milk.
He apprised that CDGK had asked all of its 65 magistrates to punish the milk wholesalers and retailers those found violating the official price list by heavy fines, which is Rs 10,000.
"The CDGK magistrates could issue a ticket of Rs 10,000 to a single transgressor, which is a maximum fine is aimed to bring the milk prices down in line with the official rates, which are Rs 28 in retail, and 26 in wholesale markets," he added.
He said CDGK's writ would be established in the metropolis and no one would be allowed to violate its set rules and regulations. He pointed out that CDGK officials had concluded survey reports by visiting city's various dairy farms and other milk markets and claims of dairy farmers were false.
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