In 2023, World Milk Day, with the theme ‘Enjoy Dairy’, will focus on showcasing how dairy is reducing its environmental footprint, while also providing nutritious foods and livelihoods. The objective will be to drive an active narrative that integrates the environmental, nutritional and societal impacts of the sector.
This day is celebrated by all United Nations member states which organise various events to educate the public about the importance of milk.
Back home, the rising price of milk and dairy products has, however, taken the sheen off the nutrient-rich product.
Saraswati Devi, a resident of Sailashree Vihar area in Bhubaneswar, said milk and its benefits are beyond calculation.
“The benefits of dairy products outdo the negligible rise in price. These days, we are receiving packaged milk and other dairy products with assured purity at doorsteps. Quality comes with a price. And a negligible rise in milk price shouldn’t be an issue,” Devi, a retired banker, said.
Pahala Rasagola Sangha president Akshay Lenka attributed the rise in prices of sweets to the milk price hike.
“With the rise in prices of daily essentials and cattle fodder, we expected a slight rise in price of milk, and that has happened. Milk prices are lower in Odisha in comparison with other states. If we go by the rule book, with Re 1 rise in a litre of milk, the price of 1 kg of Chhena (unripened curd cheese) will go up by Rs 5. A hike in prices of milk and its products in April first week resulted in subsequent rise of prices of the sweets made out of it,” Lenka said.
According to Bhimasen Tripathy, a tea seller in Rasulgarh area of the Capitl city, although the middleclass is somehow unaffected by the milk price hike, owners of small tea joints across the Temple City are bearing the brunt.
“With the latest rise of Rs 4 per litre of milk, it’s tough to convince customers while selling a cup of tea for Rs 7. Milk price hike is almost like a bolt from the blue for tea sellers like me who has already been reeling under the burden of rising prices of LPG and other essentials,” said Tripathy.
SMRUTI REKHA BARIK, OP