Dairy and cattle farm owners have decided to take the path of confrontation with the government, announcing that they would go ahead with the milk price hike even without official approval.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Cattle Farmers Association president Shaukat Ali Jatoi said that they now would sell milk at Rs112 per litre.
"The cost of business and fodder has increased by 40 per cent to 50 per cent over the last 18 months," claimed Jatoi, adding that without increasing milk prices, cattle farmers would face financial losses and milk production would decrease.
He pointed out cattle farmers had demanded that milk prices be increased from February, but withdrew the demand because the government took a stand against it. However, he claimed, keeping the price unchanged had resulted in a decrease in milk production.
Jatoi said they had shared a detailed report about production costs with the government and expressed hope that the government would help the ailing industry.
"So far, the government and the media have only paid heed to the rising milk price but not the ever-increasing cost of our business," he lamented, claiming that many cattle pens had already closed and more would follow if farmers continued to sell milk at the existing rate.
Jatoi warned that if raids by the district administration on milk shops and cattle pens continued, they would be compelled to resort to protests.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2020.
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