Dry milk price up by Rs 600 per 25kg

The prices of locally manufactured and imported dry milk have again surged up by 600 per 25 kg in the wholesale market and Rs 20 per kg in the retail market, sources told Business Recorder on Thursday.
The sources apprised that further increase of Rs 300 in the dry milk prices was expected during the current month, adding that recent increase in the milk prices was the first in two weeks and seventh in about seven weeks.
Now, dry milk prices in the retail market recorded increase of Rs 20 per kg, as Irish brand commodity is being sold at Rs 280 per kg swelling from Rs 260 per kg, whereas Australian brand price has reached Rs 260 per kg mounting from Rs 240 per kg.
Similarly, price of the locally produced dry milk has hit the mark of Rs 250 per kg escalating from Rs 230 per kg. The prices of all items surged by Rs 20 per kg in the retail market, they added.
They said that the sale of dry milk price declined by about 50 percent and only in case of requirement the commodity was bought due to shrinkage of consumers' purchasing power.
In the wholesale market, price of the imported dry milk ie, Irish brand has gone up to Rs 6,600 per 25 kg from Rs 6,400 per 25 kg bag, Australian brand price reached Rs 6,500 per 25 kg mark inflating from Rs 6,100 per 25 kg, they added.
However, the larger price increase has occurred in locally manufactured dry milk by Rs 600 per 25-kg bag which is now being tagged at Rs 6,500 per 25-kg bag surging from Rs 5,900 per 25-kg, they maintained.
They apprised that skimmed milk, which is normally considered a lower price commodity, was presently arrived in the market at Rs 8,000 per 25-kg bag at the most expensive price.
They expressed apprehension over the increasing price of the skimmed milk, saying that price of dry milk would further escalate in days to come in the wake of such unusual price surge.
They said that government's role in price fixation process had completely diminished as only few dry milk importers and producers were ruling the market. Government should ensure its existence by decreasing the dry milk price in the wholesale market, which would also effect the retail price, they demanded. They stressed the need of elimination of importers' role in the price fixation process, urging government to come forward and establish its writ in the all market spheres.