Milk Price Spikes as Demand Rises in Muharram

 The increase in demand is due to the use of milk to prepare various drinks and desserts, which are distributed in the form of Niaz. An artificial shortage has also been created by traders limiting the availability of milk. A meeting of stakeholders has been called on September 13 in this regard.

Most milk retailers across Karachi open their shops only for a few hours in the morning and in the evening. During these limited hours, they sell milk at the price they wish to charge. Though the official price of milk fixed by the government is Rs94 per litre and the retail price set by shopkeepers is Rs110 per litre, shopkeepers have been selling milk at Rs140 per litre during Ashura.

Shopkeepers claim that due to the increase in demand the amount of milk routinely available to them is not enough and they have to purchase more milk from the wholesale market. They get milk at higher prices from the open market and therefore are forced to sell it at higher rates.

However, dairy farmers and wholesalers maintain that they supply milk to retailers at the same rate throughout the year and the rates have not been changed in Muharram.

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Source: The Express Tribune