KARACHI: The Dairy and Cattle Farmers Association has formally demanded a Rs100 per litre increase in the official price of milk, citing soaring input costs that have left the sector in what they describe as a “severe financial crisis.”
In a letter addressed to the Commissioner Karachi, the association urged an immediate review of the official milk price, warning that supply disruptions could follow if relief was not granted.
Association official Shakir Gujjar said farmers could no longer sustain operations at the current rates. “Fodder, electricity, petrol and other business expenses have risen sharply. Selling milk at the official price is no longer viable,” he stated.
The association noted that fodder and other dairy-related inputs had climbed by nearly 75 per cent, while overall business expenses surged in the wake of the government’s recent petroleum price hike. Just days earlier, transporters had raised fares in response to diesel costs, underscoring the ripple effect of fuel inflation across essential commodities.
Mubasher Qadeer Abbasi cautioned that Karachi’s milk supply could be disrupted due to lack of working capital, adding that the association would announce its future course of action after internal consultations. Farmers argue that without a price revision, the sector risks collapse.
If accepted, the proposed increase would sharply raise household expenses in a city already reeling from record flour prices and transport fare hikes.
Observers warn that the cumulative effect of rising food and transport costs could intensify inflationary pressures ahead of Eidul Azha, further straining citizens’ budgets.
