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Milk becomes costlier
29 March: Milk producers, particularly in the
largest milk-consuming urban centres in Karachi
increase their prices off and on without any
justification. In a short span of time of 1-2
years, milk prices have gone up from Rs20 per
liter to Rs 25 (a 25 per cent increase) much
against the wishes of the city government.
In such a situation, the only way to control milk
prices is to develop dairy industry on proper
lines which in itself is not working
satisfactorily because of various constraints.
Milk processing plants are eligible for various
incentives announced from time to time.
These include duty-free imports of machinery and
equipment and low cost loans from banks. Producers
are also allowed duty-free import of semen and
embryo transplants of exotic breeds.
Milk-processing on modern lines was started in
early 1960s. Between 1969s and mid 1970,23
pasteurisation and sterlization plants were
established largely by private investors. These
were located around Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
Besides fresh milk, these plants recombined skim
milk powder and butter oil, received under the FAO
(World Food Programme).
These first generation plants could not prove
successful and had to be closed down except the
one in Lahore. Their failure was primarily due to
poor acceptance of recombined milk and the short
shelf life of pasteurized milk.
Other factors responsible for their failure were a
number of operating problems, including scarcity
of qualified technologists, inadequate supply of
fresh milk and poor management of these plants.
What are called the second generation dairy plants
were those which were meant for the production of
ultra high temperature (UHT) treated milk, the
first of which was set up on 1977.
The UHT treatment involves heating milk at 130-150
degrees centigrade for two to three seconds. This
process also known as "flash pasteurization" gives
a high bactericidal effect to the milk and when
packed aseptically, has a self life of several
months sans refrigeration.
The second plant of this kind was established at
Shaikupura. The UHT treated milk gained more
popularity when in aseptic packages manufactured
by a private company styled as Tetra Pack Pakistan
Ltd. Consequently more and more UHT Plants
continued to be set up which surpassed the
effective demand. In the UHT manufacturing process
the raw milk first decreamed or diluted with water
and then it is heated to 130-150 degrees
centrigrade.
Processed milk by regulation is standardized at
3.5 per cent butterfat and 8.9 per cent solids not
fat (SNF), fresh milk usually contains more than
3.5 per cent SNF. It enables the UHT manufacturers
to bring the processed milk at the regulated
standard by decreaming, selling price of raw milk.
The milk producers of the Landhi Cattle Colony
(considered to be the largest in the country)
seems to be at liberty to increase the milk prices
as and when they wish irrespective of the cost of
production.
A few years ago the Sindh Bureau of Supply and
Prices had done a useful exercise of estimating
the milk production cost of Landhi milk. According
to this study, the cost during the year 1995 was
scientifically worked out to be Rs.11.28 per litre
as against the ruling sale price at that time of
Rs 17.25 per litre. It was duly considered in a
meeting at the Karachi Commissioner's level, but
the Landhi Milk producers continued to sell the
milk at Rs17.25 per litre.
Something viable should be done by the relevant
authorities so that quality of raw milk at
reasonable prices may be available to the
consumers who per force use this milk which is
cheaper than the processed milk, although not that
hygienic.
The DAWN |
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Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
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