HYDERABAD:
After Karachi, dairy farmers and milk traders in Hyderabad are now preparing to sharply raise milk prices by as much as Rs50 to Rs60 per litre citing a steep surge in production and transportation costs.
In an interview with Daily Express, Nasir Ghori, General Secretary of the Hyderabad Retail Dairy Sellers Welfare Association, said the retail price of milk should realistically be around Rs300 per litre, given the current inflationary pressures. “Right now, we buy milk from farms at Rs200 per litre. After adding Rs10 for transport and other expenses, it reaches our shops at Rs210, but we are forced to sell it for Rs220,” he explained. Ghori added that once Karachi’s new prices are officially approved, Hyderabad retailers will formally request the deputy commissioner to revise local rates accordingly.
Dairy and cattle farmers argue that maintaining previous prices has become unsustainable due to skyrocketing costs. They point out that buffalo prices have jumped dramatically, while the cost of fodder and feed has nearly doubled in the past year. “It’s impossible to keep selling at old rates when every input has become so expensive,” said one cattle owner.
Inflation-stricken residents, already reeling from surging prices of vegetables, fruits, and other essentials, now face another blow as milk a staple in every household is set to become significantly more expensive. According to industry sources, Hyderabad’s dairy and cattle farmers have begun internal consultations, and formal applications seeking a price hike will soon be submitted to the deputy commissioner’s office once Karachi’s revised rates are announced.
Farm owners justify the proposed hike by pointing to massive increases in production expenses. A buffalo that used to cost between Rs200,000 and Rs300,000 now sells for Rs700,000 to Rs800,000. Similarly, the price of wheat bran has climbed from Rs2,800 to Rs4,000 per 40 kg, maize bran from Rs2,200 to Rs4,000, while hay now costs Rs4,800 per 40 kg. Cottonseed cake, a key feed ingredient, has also surged from Rs2,800 to between Rs3,800 and Rs4,000. On top of that, transport costs continue to rise with each increase in petroleum prices.
At present, shopkeepers purchase milk at Rs200 per litre and sell it to consumers for Rs220, leaving minimal profit margins. Cattle farmers now insist that raising prices by Rs50 to Rs60 per litre is the only way to sustain production. Meanwhile, in the open market, milk powder and related dairy products are trading at nearly Rs10,000 per 40 kilograms, adding further pressure on consumers.
Hyderabad’s daily milk consumption is estimated at around 700,000 litres, but production has fallen to between 400,000 and 500,000 litres, as small-scale dairy operators struggle to survive under rising costs. Many have already shut down their farms, warning that without an urgent revision in prices, the local milk supply could shrink even further.
