Milk goes from Rs37 to Rs50

The Sindh government and city administration have raised the price of milk by Rs13.

This decision was made after a meeting with dairy farmers and aims to end the conflict between official prices and those demanded by farmers.  At the moment, milk is sold 19 rupees higher than the official price. By increasing the official price, the government hopes that milk will be sold at legal rates.

The difference between illegal and government prices has reduced to Rs6 per litre. Dairy farmers had agreed to sell milk at Rs47 but retailers inflated the price by Rs8 and refused to decrease it.

City government officials on conditions of anonymity, said that they have prepared a summary to set the price of fresh milk at Rs50 per litre. The Sindh government had instructed the chief secretary to determine the rates of fresh milk but several months have passed and the price is still undetermined. In two months, the price of milk has risen by Rs8 while the official price was Rs34. Once the chief secretary has approved the new price, it will be announced for the month of Ramadan. Protests were held against the government on May 31, June 5 and June 15 by dairy farmers, wholesalers and retailers and livestock owners.

Published in the Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2010.