No change in milk price— at leastuntil July 17

Milk will continue to be sold at its previous price in the city until July 17, after which the price of milk will be revised in accordance with the rate of inflation and the rise in the production cost of milk determined by the State Bank of Pakistan.

This was decided on Thursday at a meeting called by Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani to resolve the milk price issue. The commissioner invited representatives of various associations involved in the trade of milk at his office, along with a Pakistan Peoples Party MNA from District Malir, Syed Agha Rafiullah.

According to a statement issued by the Commissioner Office, Shallwani informed the milk traders that the Sindh government was fully aware of their problems but at the same time, it did not want to abnormally increase the milk price as it would create a big problem for the public.

The commissioner told the stakeholders that the SBP had already been approached to share its data on inflation. He added that a third party would be contacted to determine the cost of milk production, after which another meeting would be held on July 17 in which it would be decided whether or not the milk price should be revised.

Shallwani forbade the milk traders from increasing the milk price or going on strike before July 17. As for those flouting the notified rate of the Commissioner Office, he said they would be dealt with according to the law.

MNA Rafiullah said that the government wanted to help the dairy industry. He assured the milk traders that no unjust decision would be imposed on them. The milk wholesalers on Tuesday had announced that they would be going on strike starting Wednesday as the retailers were not willing to buy milk from them at higher rates after the milk farmers announced an increase in the milk price.

However, after the intervention of Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, the strike was deferred for two days. The recent milk issue started on last Saturday when all the three milk farmers’ associations of the city jointly increased the wholesale rate of milk from Rs85 to Rs95 per litre – a move that was rejected by the provincial government which warned the milk shops’ owners against increasing the retail price of milk.