April 05, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 27, 1429

HYDERABAD, April 4: The meeting between a district government official and dairy farmers remained inconclusive as the latter stuck to their stand that they were selling milk to retailers at new rates.

The Retail Milk Sellers Welfare Association was scheduled to hold general body to review situation after the raise by dairy farmers in wholesale rates of milk.

Meanwhile, meeting of district government officials and chakki owners decided to fix flour retail price at Rs20.50 which was only 0.50 paisa less than the unilateral increase in the retail rate announced by Hyderabad Atta Chakki Owners Association (HACOA).

District Officer Revenue Sajjad Hyder held a meeting with a delegation of dairy farmers and cattle merchants in his office to hear their viewpoint over rise in milk prices. The meeting discussed the situation in detail as dairy farmers gave different reasons in support of the increase in rates of milk for retailer.

They said fodder and other food items for animals had registered an increase. They justified their viewpoint by relating it to flour and oil mills.

The DO revenue asked them to pen down each and everything on the basis of which they had increased the rate. A representation was to be submitted by dairy farmers to DO revenue so that it could be discussed again at a meeting with DCO Hyderabad.

The president Mehran Cattle Association Yusuf Jatoi had told DO that they were supplying milk to retailers as per new rates. However, the DO disagreed to it and said that while they may stick to their stand the official position was that milk’s retailer rate was Rs32 per litre, two rupees less than the rate of Karachi’s Rs34 per litre.

FLOUR: The Hyderabad Atta Chakki Owners Association’s executive committee in its Thursday’s meeting decided to sell the flour at Rs21 from Friday because of price hike in the cost of wheat.

The district government has instructed magistrates to impose fine on retailers and chakki owners if they sell flour at the rate other than officially fixed price.

On Friday fines were imposed in Latifabad, leading to a protest in Unit-7 also.

In the meantime a meeting was held under instruction of District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil which was presided over by acting DCO Barkat Ahmed Rizvi. It was attended by HACOA officials including Haneef Rajput, Haji Nawab and others. It fixed the new rate at Rs19.70kg at wholesale and Rs20.50 per kg by retailers. The new rate was Rs1.50 higher than the previous rate.