Dairy farmers urge immediate notification of revised milk prices

KARACHI: The Dairy and Cattle Farmers Association has called for an immediate revision of milk prices, saying rising production costs have made it difficult for farmers to continue operations.

Association leader Shakir Umar demanded that the ex-farm price be increased to Rs277 per litre and the retail rate to Rs310.

He said the Sindh Livestock Department had calculated the production cost at Rs262 per litre, which rises to Rs277 after an additional Rs15 deduction under the calf head.

Umar questioned how farmers could continue selling milk at the existing official ex-farm rate of Rs215 per litre when the government’s own figures showed a significantly higher production cost.

He said the current official retail price was around Rs240 per litre.

He attributed the rising costs to expensive animal feed, fodder, grain, electricity, labour, medicines and transportation.

He urged Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi to convene a meeting of all stakeholders and issue a revised notification based on documented production costs.

The association leader warned that prolonged losses were forcing some farmers to sell their livestock and shut down farms, which could eventually affect milk production and investment in the dairy sector.

He said the association would present official cost figures and evidence of losses at a press conference this week.

Umar said farmers would consider peaceful protests, sit-ins and symbolic demonstrations if their demands were not addressed.

However, he stressed that negotiations remained the preferred option and that protecting dairy farmers was essential to maintaining milk production and supply.