Dairy farmers reject govt’s decision to sell milk at old rate

The Sindh government has rejected the new offer of the dairy farmers’ association to sell milk at Rs116 per litre.

An emergency meeting was held at Commissioner Office on Thursday to discuss the issue of milk price in which Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shalwani and Food Minister Ismail Rahu rejected the offer of the dairy farmers’ association to sell milk at Rs116 per litre and announced that milk would be sold at the official rate of Rs95 per litre.

Two days ago, milk was being sold at Rs100 per litre at many shops in the city when a sudden increase in the milk price to Rs123 per litre caught the citizens by surprise. Heated arguments between vendors and citizens were witnessed at milk shops in different parts of Karachi.

The prices of yogurt and lassi were also increased. After hue and cry was raised, the dairy farmers’ association offered to sell milk at Rs116 per litre.

The emergency meeting was also attended by the dairy association’s representatives. They maintained that it was not possible for them to sell milk at a rate less than Rs116 per litre.

The government, however, did not agree to their offer and announced that milk would continue to be sold at its previous rate. The dairy farmers rejected the government’s decision and said they would not accept it.

The commissioner said dairy farmers would not be allowed to fix milk price on their own. He added that the government’s writ would be imposed at any cost. He also directed the deputy commissioners to start checking whether milk was being sold at official rate or not in their respective districts.

Public representatives and members of the civil society who attended the meeting claimed that milk was being sold at Rs123 per litre. Many citizens also gathered at the Commissioner Office in protest and demanded that the government retain old milk price.

Raids at milk shops

The deputy commissioner South on Thursday carried out raids at various milk shops in District South and imposed a total fine of Rs41,000 on various milk sellers who were found selling milk higher than the official rate of Rs95 per litre.

The deputy commissioner East also inspected various milk shops operating in the Jamshed Quarters, Ferozabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Gulzar-e-Hijri areas and slapped a total fine of Rs103,000 on various milk vendors. A milk seller was also sent to jail for selling milk at exorbitant price.