Dairy Farmers Defer Milk Price Hike

PAKISTAN - The President of the Karachi Dairy Farmers Association, Haji Akhtar Gujjar, has asked dairy wholesalers and retailers to sell milk at Rs55 and Rs60 respectively and not to implement the increase announced on Thursday, reports The News.
calendar icon 4 April 2011
clock icon 3 minute read

Mr Gujjar said that after speaking to the Administrator of Karachi, it was decided that the decision to increase milk prices would be deferred till the 4th of April (today).

Mr Gujjar asked the retailers and wholesalers to revert back to the old prices with immediate effect.

Earlier, the Administrator of Karachi, Fazlur Rehman issued a stern warning to dairy farmers on Friday, saying that strict action would be taken under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO), if they decided to hike up milk prices.

He warned that if the farmers raise milk prices, all the farms that had been established on government land would be removed and measures would be taken to those people responsible for hoarding the dairy product. Mr Rehman also urged the citizens of Karachi to abstain from buying milk at the inflated prices for the next two days.

Addressing a meeting at the of Executive District Officers (EDOs) at the DCO Camp Office after canceling his medical leave, the administrator said that any attempt to challenge the writ of the government would be dealt with in the sternest possible manner. He added dairy farmers do night have the right to take unauthorised measures.

Mr Rehman said that on Friday, more than 70 people were fined for selling at milk at excessive prices and that action in this regard would take place on a daily basis. He informed the EDOs that a meeting of the dairy farmers’ consumers’ associations had been convened on April 4 to address the issues faced by the dairy farmers and reach an agreeable price.

The administrator said that people were already battling with inflation and that the traders’ community must consider the problems faced by the common man.

Dairy farmers had made life more difficult for the common man on Thursday by hiking up milk prices by Rs8.50 per litre in the wholesale market and as a result, the increase would trickle down to the consumers who would be forced to pay a staggering Rs10 more for this essential dairy product.

Retailers were to pay Rs59 per litre, compared to the old rates of Rs50.50. The general public was at the mercy of local retailers who would decide exactly how much they would charge from their consumers.

Some milk retail sellers said they would start charging up to Rs70 starting from today in light of the decision by the dairy farmers increase the rates. The previous retail price of milk was Rs60.

This was the second occasion that milk farmers had decided to increase prices in a relatively short period of time. A couple of weeks ago, they had increased the price by Rs10. However, the decision was withdrawn during a meeting with the District Coordination Officer of Karachi (DCO), Muhammad Hussain Syed, who is also the controller of general prices.

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