Prices and quality of milk available in the city vary greatly and call for regulation by the government because milk is an essential food item
March 08, 2009
By Sajid Bashir
By Sajid Bashir
LAHORE: Milk prices vary greatly in the provincial metropolis and so does quality of milk but not according to the pricing. The prices vary from Rs 28 to Rs 42 per litre.
A survey conducted by TNS reveals that the daily consumption of milk in Lahore in summer season is around 1.6 million litres out of which 0.3 million is packed milk while the rest 1.3 million is loose milk and some 800 to 900 shops in each town of the city are selling milk.
The milk price varies from area to area and the milk dealers claim they are selling best quality milk and deserve higher rates while reports are to the contrary. A drive to check this variation was started on the instructions of former Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif on receiving complaints from the public. The Food Department was directed to take immediate measures to resolve this problem.
District Officer Live Stock (retd) Dr Aqeel says the dairy department has been neglected for 40 years due to which the milk quality and prices are not constant. "No one can control the price of milk until the supply of milk meets the demand. The sale of milk at Rs. 40 per litre is not much because one litre milk costs Rs 34 to the dealers as well as the Gawalas. As a result they have to sell adulterated milk to get healthy benefit in which chemicals like urea, caustic soda, refined oil, especially used and cheap cooking oil and commonly used detergents are mixed," he says.
These chemicals increase the shelf life of milk and remove traces of adulteration and mixing of hazardous chemicals. The district officer Live Stock says gawalas and farmers are also using oxytocin injections, a human female hormone, on buffaloes and cows to draw more milk. He says people, especially children drinking such milk, run the risk of developing female characteristics in the body like breasts, shrill voice and loss of hair on the face.
Dr Aqeel says it will take at least 10 years to stabilize the price and quality of milk in the city and a long term planning is required for that.
District Offier Food Dr Masood says the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has decided to establish model shops in every town where it will ensure supply of quality milk on a uniform rate.
The plan to introduce a uniform rate of milk across the provincial metropolis was made by the former chief minister and the CDGL’s Food department was working hard to implement the plan. Now, after the change of government, the plan to introduce a uniform rate of milk across the city has shrunk to establishing some shops in every town.
In a recent meeting the District Coordination Officer (DCO) has asked the Food department to establish eight to ten model milk shops in every town of the city, he adds. District Officer Food says these shops will sell milk at a uniform rate and will also install lactometers to ensure the quality of milk.
He says special teams were also constituted to complete registration of all milk sellers, suppliers and dealers in the city. The department has sent a detailed summary to the DCO Lahore for final decision.
sajidthenews@gmail.com
A survey conducted by TNS reveals that the daily consumption of milk in Lahore in summer season is around 1.6 million litres out of which 0.3 million is packed milk while the rest 1.3 million is loose milk and some 800 to 900 shops in each town of the city are selling milk.
The milk price varies from area to area and the milk dealers claim they are selling best quality milk and deserve higher rates while reports are to the contrary. A drive to check this variation was started on the instructions of former Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif on receiving complaints from the public. The Food Department was directed to take immediate measures to resolve this problem.
District Officer Live Stock (retd) Dr Aqeel says the dairy department has been neglected for 40 years due to which the milk quality and prices are not constant. "No one can control the price of milk until the supply of milk meets the demand. The sale of milk at Rs. 40 per litre is not much because one litre milk costs Rs 34 to the dealers as well as the Gawalas. As a result they have to sell adulterated milk to get healthy benefit in which chemicals like urea, caustic soda, refined oil, especially used and cheap cooking oil and commonly used detergents are mixed," he says.
These chemicals increase the shelf life of milk and remove traces of adulteration and mixing of hazardous chemicals. The district officer Live Stock says gawalas and farmers are also using oxytocin injections, a human female hormone, on buffaloes and cows to draw more milk. He says people, especially children drinking such milk, run the risk of developing female characteristics in the body like breasts, shrill voice and loss of hair on the face.
Dr Aqeel says it will take at least 10 years to stabilize the price and quality of milk in the city and a long term planning is required for that.
District Offier Food Dr Masood says the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has decided to establish model shops in every town where it will ensure supply of quality milk on a uniform rate.
The plan to introduce a uniform rate of milk across the provincial metropolis was made by the former chief minister and the CDGL’s Food department was working hard to implement the plan. Now, after the change of government, the plan to introduce a uniform rate of milk across the city has shrunk to establishing some shops in every town.
In a recent meeting the District Coordination Officer (DCO) has asked the Food department to establish eight to ten model milk shops in every town of the city, he adds. District Officer Food says these shops will sell milk at a uniform rate and will also install lactometers to ensure the quality of milk.
He says special teams were also constituted to complete registration of all milk sellers, suppliers and dealers in the city. The department has sent a detailed summary to the DCO Lahore for final decision.
sajidthenews@gmail.com
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