Price of fresh milk in the wholesale markets of Kolkata has gone up by Rs 5 and in the retail markets, the spike is anything between Rs 5 and Rs 8 depending on the local demand. On Tuesday, the wholesale price of fresh milk was Rs 52 a litre.
The rise in price during a lean phase when the demand for milk is not as high — mangoes replace traditional sweets for desserts — has put the milk trade in a spot. The milk federations and wholesalers attribute the price hike to the scarcity in supply due to the complete shutdown in import of cattle from Uttar Pradesh, the biggest supplier of cattle for dairy purpose. They fear the situation may turn severe in the days to come.
The Centre’s notification announcing the sale ban has triggered panic in cattle markets across the hinterland where the association of cattle with rural economics goes much beyond meat. Sales have dipped by almost 40%. According to experts, the ban will impact the dairy industry as much as it will impact the meat and leather industry.
«The markets are already showing signs that people are reluctant to rear cattle. A cow or a buffalo lactates for 7-8 years and the maintenance cost is Rs 60,000 annually. Once the animal stops lactating the farmer sells it. The ban will mean he will have to continue to spend money on it for life,» said Sourabh Ghosh, GM of procurement with a corporate dairy outfit. The impact is already telling in the wholesale markets. In Jorasanko, the state’s biggest milk wholesale market in the state, the supply has been dipping since March.
«There is a scarcity of milk in the market because the supply is low. There is no movement of cattle from Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal for the past three months. Fresh milk from the local breed of cattle is not good enough for the sweets in the state. People do not prefer it even for drinking,» said Rajeev Sinha, president of the Jorasanko Dudh Vyavasayik Samity and vice-president of the West Bengal Milkmen’s Association.
Source: Times of India
Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/cow-sale-ban-dries-up-dairy-trade-milk-price-up/articleshow/59026403.cms
