KARACHI: The city administration on Friday decided to take strict action against hike in prices of dairy products as retailers increased the rates at whim on the pretext of procuring milk at higher prices from wholesalers.

The Dairy Cattle Farmers Association (DCFA) and Milk Retailers Association, however, claimed that farmers were not behind the latest increase in milk rates, rejecting the increase in prices by the wholesalers and retailers.

The dairy sector stakeholders raised the price of fresh milk by Rs10 per litre to Rs150 and yogurt by Rs20 per kg to Rs240 three days ago, triggering a strong protest from consumers across the city with some of the civil rights campaigners asking people to boycott the dairy products.

Just about four months ago, the prices of fresh milk and yogurt were increased by Rs10 per litre and Rs20 per kg to Rs140 and Rs220 from Rs130 and Rs200, respectively.

On Friday, Karachi commissioner Iqbal Memon directed the deputy commissioners to adopt a serious approach to control the dairy product prices in the city.

He also recalled that the district administration officers were assigned to conduct surprise visits in the city to ensure the sale of dairy products at notified prices, but the milk was still being sold at exorbitant price across the city.

Mr Memon said the district administrations were responsible to keep a check on the price and quality of milk in their respective jurisdictions.

From March 2021 to date, consumers braved a price hike of Rs30 per litre in milk and Rs60 per kg in yogurt.

A spokesman for Milk Retailers Assocaition had warned that milk price will further go up by Rs30 per litre in case the government does not withdraw 17 per cent general sales tax on milk inputs.

The commissioner also reviewed the prices of other essential commodities including meat, chicken, pulses, vegetables and fruit and directed the DCs of the city’s seven districts to review the prices of edibles and submit their proposals in this regard by Monday.

He said a notification regarding the prices of essential commodities would be issued next week.

Meanwhile, residents of different localities said the quality of milk had been compromised by those retailers who were still selling the commodity at old price.

A milk shop owner said the milk sellers could not sell good quality milk at old price due to increase in prices by the dairy farmers and wholesalers.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2022