In Karachi’s Landhi Cattle Colony, thousands of dairy farmers are fighting for survival. These hardworking people supply fresh milk to the city every day, but now they are unable to feed their own children. Their only fault is that they produce milk — and the government has fixed the milk price even lower than their cost of production.
The average cost of producing one litre of milk has crossed Rs 270, while the Commissioner Karachi has fixed the retail price at Rs 195 per litre. This means that farmers are forced to sell milk at a loss of Rs 75 per litre. Such a policy is not based on any economic logic — it is merely a showpiece decision to please consumers. The government wants to create the illusion of cheap milk for the public, but it has destroyed the livelihood of milk producers in the process.
The cost of production has gone up sharply. Green fodder like berseem, maize, sorghum, and lucerne, as well as dry fodder such as hay and straw, have become extremely expensive. Animal feed ingredients — including bran, cottonseed cake, canola meal, soybean meal, maize, and other concentrates — are now unaffordable. On top of that, mineral mixes, vitamins, veterinary medicines, labour, electricity, water, and transport costs have all risen drastically.
What’s shocking is that the government has not controlled the price of any of these inputs, nor provided any subsidy or relief to farmers. Yet, it has forcefully fixed the selling price of milk. This is not fairness — it is outright economic injustice. When production costs are left to rise freely but the sale price is artificially fixed, any industry is bound to collapse.
This wrong policy is not only hurting dairy farmers in Karachi but also destroying livestock producers across the country. In Punjab, the recent devastating floods have made the situation even worse. Thousands of acres of fodder crops were washed away, feed supply chains were broken, and prices of animal feed have more than doubled. Still, dairy farmers are being pressured to sell milk cheaply — as if they are being forced to sign their own economic death warrants.
The most disappointing part is the silence of policymakers and politicians. Neither the National Assembly nor the Provincial Assemblies are discussing this issue. No resolutions are being moved, no committees are taking notice. Do milk producers not count as citizens of Pakistan? Are their votes less valuable?
When it comes to wheat, sugarcane, cotton, or fertilizer, our lawmakers are quick to act and make noise. But when it comes to milk, meat, or livestock — they remain completely silent. This silence is not ignorance; it is a sign of the rulers’ insensitivity and poor governance.
Policymakers must understand that the dairy sector is the backbone of Pakistan’s agriculture. If the farmers break down, milk supply will shrink, prices will rise sharply in cities, and millions of families will lose their livelihoods. Eventually, the country will face a serious food security crisis.
This is the time for the government to wake up and act responsibly. It must immediately remove artificial price controls, provide relief on animal feed, fodder, and energy costs, and introduce supportive policies to protect the dairy sector.
If urgent steps are not taken, the coming crisis will not be limited to dairy farmers — it will affect the entire nation’s nutrition and economic stability.
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