KATHMANDU: The dairy businesspersons who recently hiked price of milk citing the rise in production cost of milk have taken back their decision to increase the price.
A meeting held at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) among the stakeholders reached the decision for the same.
Rajendra Prasad Yadav, executive director of the National Dairy Development Board, shared that discussion among the secretary at the MoALD, Board and the concerned bodies concluded to roll back the decision to recently hiked price of milk at present.
The meeting decided to conduct a scientific study considering the production cost of milk, inflation in market price and purchasing power of the consumers for the adjustment of price, informed Yadav.
Though the Board said that it appraised the MoALD, Dairy Development Corporation, Nepal Dairy Association among others about the decision, Dairy Industry Association Chairperson Raj Kumar Dahal shared that there was no such agreement or decision taken in the Sunday meeting.
“We agree to disagree on the conclusion of the meeting. We will take back the increase in milk price if the Board appraises us about the criteria to hike price,” Dahal asserted.
The Essential Commodities Control (Authorization) Act-2017 BS has listed milk as the essential food.
Some milk businesspersons hiked milk price by Rs 14 per litre since last Saturday.
They had cited the rise in production cost and high cost while buying from the farmers.
The Nepal Dairy Association and some umbrella organizations of farmers and consumer rights had protested the act of some limited dairy entrepreneurs.
The Board is entrusted with the responsibility to formulate policies to fix the price of milk and to recommend the revised price to the government in case of need.
Comment