Seeking protection: Farmers demand heavy duty on milk powder import
Say dairy body presenting twisted facts to policy-makers.
PDA acknowledged that they did not pack fresh milk and instead used powder and other ingredients to manufacture the products. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
The government should impose heavy duty on the import of milk and whey powder as unchecked purchases from abroad are hurting the interest of domestic farmers, said Kissan Ittehad President Khalid Mahmood Khokhar.
“We should not forget that Pakistan is an agricultural economy and livestock has 55% share in the country’s agricultural production,” he said while speaking at a press conference.
“If agriculture is ignored and left at the mercy of foreign exporters, the rural economy will be devastated and millions of farmers will starve to death.”
He said millions of small farmers, many of whom do not have any landholdings, reared livestock and revenue from milk sale was the only source of income for them. “These farmers are unable to sell milk as middlemen and buyers have started producing milk through skimmed milk and whey powder.”
He claimed that the average price of milk a dairy farmer got was Rs40 per litre, whereas consumers were buying milk for over Rs100. “The situation is worse in southern Punjab where dairy farmers are receiving a mere Rs32 per litre.”
According to Khokhar, Pakistan has the lowest import duty on milk and whey powder in the region – 20% for Saarc members and 25% for the rest of the world.
India has imposed 68% duty on dry milk import whereas Turkey has slapped 180% duty just to protect dairy farmers and become self-sufficient in milk production.
Suggesting that the government take urgent measures to protect the sector, he added, “We should strive for self-sufficiency instead of becoming a dumping ground for foreign exporters.”
He cited an Indian example, saying the Indian farmers were getting a number of incentives and subsidies, while in Pakistan, farmers were facing high input costs and were deprived of fair prices for their produce.
He alleged that the Pakistan Dairy Association (PDA) had been trying to influence policy-makers with twisted facts to divert their attention away from real issues.
“The Punjab government sent a delegation to Turkey for studying the dairy market there. After return, the PDA made a presentation in which they highlighted everything except that Turkey has imposed 180% duty on the import of milk powder,” said Khokhar.
Recently, the PDA wrote a letter to the Ministry of Food Security and Research in which it acknowledged that they did not pack fresh milk and instead used powder and other ingredients to manufacture the products.
In the UHT market, hardly 42% is packed as milk while 58% is other than milk products including dairy liquids and tea whiteners. These products are made entirely from imported dry milk.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2015.
The government should impose heavy duty on the import of milk and whey powder as unchecked purchases from abroad are hurting the interest of domestic farmers, said Kissan Ittehad President Khalid Mahmood Khokhar.
“We should not forget that Pakistan is an agricultural economy and livestock has 55% share in the country’s agricultural production,” he said while speaking at a press conference.
“If agriculture is ignored and left at the mercy of foreign exporters, the rural economy will be devastated and millions of farmers will starve to death.”
He said millions of small farmers, many of whom do not have any landholdings, reared livestock and revenue from milk sale was the only source of income for them. “These farmers are unable to sell milk as middlemen and buyers have started producing milk through skimmed milk and whey powder.”
He claimed that the average price of milk a dairy farmer got was Rs40 per litre, whereas consumers were buying milk for over Rs100. “The situation is worse in southern Punjab where dairy farmers are receiving a mere Rs32 per litre.”
According to Khokhar, Pakistan has the lowest import duty on milk and whey powder in the region – 20% for Saarc members and 25% for the rest of the world.
India has imposed 68% duty on dry milk import whereas Turkey has slapped 180% duty just to protect dairy farmers and become self-sufficient in milk production.
Suggesting that the government take urgent measures to protect the sector, he added, “We should strive for self-sufficiency instead of becoming a dumping ground for foreign exporters.”
He cited an Indian example, saying the Indian farmers were getting a number of incentives and subsidies, while in Pakistan, farmers were facing high input costs and were deprived of fair prices for their produce.
He alleged that the Pakistan Dairy Association (PDA) had been trying to influence policy-makers with twisted facts to divert their attention away from real issues.
“The Punjab government sent a delegation to Turkey for studying the dairy market there. After return, the PDA made a presentation in which they highlighted everything except that Turkey has imposed 180% duty on the import of milk powder,” said Khokhar.
Recently, the PDA wrote a letter to the Ministry of Food Security and Research in which it acknowledged that they did not pack fresh milk and instead used powder and other ingredients to manufacture the products.
In the UHT market, hardly 42% is packed as milk while 58% is other than milk products including dairy liquids and tea whiteners. These products are made entirely from imported dry milk.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2015.