Abstract
Milk provides several essential dietary components for humans of all ages. In Pakistan, milk production during
2007-08 has been reported to be 34 million tonnes (about 58% from buffaloes, 35% from cattle) and the rest from
camel, sheep, and goat). Per capita availability of milk is 169 litres/annum. However, it varies from place to place
both in quality and quantity. At present, Pakistan is acclaimed to be at 4
th position in the world in milk production.
Pakistan is said to be surplus in milk production; but due to lack of proper planning, collection and distribution
facilities, a major portion of the total production about 97% is consumed, per force, by the producers in the far
flung areas and only 3-4% of the total milk is being processed and marketed through formal channels. Milk and
milk products represent 27% of total household expenditure on food items in Pakistan. The neglect about this
valuable commodity appears highly undesirable in view of the fact that milk production despite its very low yield, is
even today far ahead of the major cash crops such as wheat, cotton, rice and sugarcane. There is a huge
demand for both powdered and packed milk in the neighboring countries of Iran, UAE, Saudia Arabia besides
Malaysia, and Philippine, which Pakistan can successfully harness to its advantage. Unlike other progressive
countries where sale of raw milk is disallowed by law and processing is mandatory due to milk being one of the
two major carriers of diseases (water being the other), Pakistan continues to allow 97% milk to be distributed
through the traditional Gawala system. To the bacteria of tuberculosis and hepatitis that naturally occur in milk,
the Gawala adds many more varieties through the addition of contaminated water for its dilution. The contractors
who collect milk in Punjab through the Dodhis-the middlemen, and sell it to the urban consumers, go a step
further. They add unhygenically produced ice slabs, soda bicarb and sometimes formaline to the milk they collect
to prevent it from going bad due to intense heat in summer. All the people involved in the milk trade should be
trained in the skills of efficient marketing of hygienic milk and value chain knowledge. Along with all the basic
principles of clean and hygienic milk production, on farm value addition should also be emphasized. Both the
provincial as well as federal governments should play their active role to improve the situation. This paper
discusses all the possibilities to improve the marketing of milk to harness its tremendous potential for the
betterment of national economy and also to know the constraints that hamper the avallab'uty of this essential food
stuff in terms of both quantity and quality.
