Milk, yogurt prices to rise by Rs 6 to Rs 10

After a 5-rupee increase in the price of un-packaged buffalo milk, the prices of unpackaged cow milk and yogurt are likely to rise by Rs 6 to Rs 10, rendering already cash-strapped people completely down-and-out. The daily milk consumption of Lahore in summers is around 1.6 million litres out of which 0.3 million litres of milk is packaged while the rest 1.3 million litres of milk is un-packaged. District Officer (food) told Pakistan Today that CDGL had raised the buffalo milk price to Rs 50 per litter in a meeting held at the DCO office.
The meeting was attended by DO (industry), CDGL officials and representative of milkmen associations. The prices of cow milk and yogurt would be determined after negotiations with the milkmen associations in a couple of days, he added. He said that milkmen had demanded to increase milk and yogurt prices from Rs 60 to Rs 70 and staged a protest demonstration in front of the DCO office last week in this regard. A committee has been formed to negotiate with the milkmen associations to set the prices of cow milk and yogurt soon, he added.
According to a CDGL official, expected price of cow milk would be from Rs 42 to Rs 45 per litre and yogurt price per kg will rise from Rs 60 to Rs 65.
In 2010, former DCO Sajjad Bhutta set official price of buffalo milk at Rs 45 per litre, cow milk at Rs 40 per litre and yogurt price at Rs 50 per kg. In 2009, CDGL had notified the price of one litre of milk containing 3.05 per cent of fat at Rs 38 per litre and the price of milk with less fat at Rs 36 per litre and price of yogurt at Rs 42 to Rs 44 per kg.
According to a survey conducted by the Food Department, milkmen had unilaterally started selling milk at some shops in posh areas. Some vendors who claimed that they sold only pure milk had also been fleecing by charging Rs 50 to Rs 60. DCO’s spokesman Tariq Zaman said that till the time, price control committee agreed to revise the prices of milk and yogurt, CDGL would ensure the implementation of already notified prices in 2010.
Milkmen’ representative Haji Bhola said that revision of prices was a dire need of the hour in wake of spiralling price hike on all fronts. We have demanded Rs 6 to Rs 10 increase, which has yet to be agreed, he added. Zahoor Gill, a resident of Ichhrah, said that milk and yogurt, being a necessities of life, were already too expensive and an increase in prices would make them out of the reach of common man.
Fatima Zohra, resident of Shadman, said the government would validate the already increased prices as per a ‘clandestine plan’. Residents of Wahdat Colony also criticized the proposed increase in milk prices, asking the CM Punjab to intervene into the matter to save them from ‘profiteers’.