Pricey milk, its scarcity and insufficient nutrition
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Enayet Rasul
THE nutritional state of the people of Bangladesh is seen as among the poorest in South Asia, not to talk about the rating in the world context. But there is time to think and take actions because the situation of lack of basic nutrition is turning even worse in this country. Rice is the staple diet but its poor level of production and consumption recently is turning into an worrisome issue. But the all round nutritional benefits of rice is doubted. Apart from being a source of carbohydrate or energy, its food value for building and retaining strong bodies is not very high. Fish, the main source of protein in the country -- specially for the poor --is also becoming costlier.
Only the price, availability and consumption of milk in the country should give one the idea about the threatened nutrition of people of all ages . Milk is regarded as the ideal food for humans in all age groups. Infants are the first to enjoy it and gain from the breast milk they consume from mothers. But even lactating mothers need to consume cow's milk and other nutrients to produce enough breast milk to feed their infants. It is doubtful whether mothers in Bangladesh generally are drinking enough cow's milk and other foods having good nutritional values from the inability to pay for their high prices.
Cow's milk is regarded by nutritionists as the most complete food after mother's milk. Mother's milk contains all the nutrients needed for the survival and growth of infants in the early months. It even protects infants from diseases. After the stage of infancy is passed and mothers' milk is not available, human babies can only depend on one such complete food including all the vital nutrients and this is cow's milk. Not only babies, adults of different ages can similarly protect their health by including some milk and milk-based products in their diets. Milk is specially required by humans in old age to maintain their bone health. The greatest need of cow's milk is for children for their all round nutrition and growth.
But cow's milk is becoming more and more pricey. It went out of the purchasing power of the poor or the borderline poor families sometime ago. Now, the same situation is facing probably the majority of the ordinary middle class families. They are either cutting down on the amount of milk they would ordinarily like to give to their children every day or are giving none at all. The price of milk is simply becoming unaffordable for them. There is no need to say that the nutritional deficiency caused to children as they are not getting enough milk or no milk in their diets, can be very great. Mentally and physically impaired young adults could be the result of it. The medical dangers to the old ones among the population from less drinking or no drinking of milk, could soar.
In the last one year, the per litre price of milk has increased by taka 10 to 20. The price of a bag of 1 litre of milk produced by the state-run cooperative Milk Vita, is sold at the company price of Taka 40 after keeping the retailers' commission. But the retailers say that they get the milk after several changes of hand and, therefore, they have to sell at a higher price above taka 40. Thus, there is no uniform price of Milk Vita milk at the retail level. One litre may cost taka 44 in one shop and taka 50 in another. During occasions such as Eid when milk is demanded in greater amount, the milk bags simply vanish from some shops and can be found in others only at unusually high prices. No satisfactory explanations are given for this conduct.
The scene in respect of imported milk powder is even worse. The per kg cost of powered milk rose to taka 150-170 in the last one year. For a middle class household, purchasing several 5 kg cans of powdered milk at such prices to feed regularly even one baby, means a big blow to their modest family budget. Thus, reportedly, many such families are feeding their children with much less milk or no milk at all.
Unethical activities are, of course, involved in the shooting up prices of milk. But a major reason is also the condition of scarcity. If supplies of milk within the country increased substantially, then the urge and necessity on the part of its producers and sellers would also increase to quickly dispose of their produce through persuading the consumers by offering reasonable prices. The perishable nature of milk would add to their urgency. Even the common economic law says that price of a commodity is affected by its supply. If its demand is high but supply low, then its price climbs exploiting the mismatch between demand and supply. The demand for milk is far above the supply in the country and the producers and suppliers are utilising this advantage to the fullest. If Bangladesh should provide adequate milk for consumption to its people, then by international nutritional standards, it needs to produce annually a quantity of 10.22 billion litres of milk. But the actual production of milk in the country is only about 1.75 billion litres which is nearly one-tenth of the demanded amount.
But Bangladesh with its predominant number of rural people in the country, its agrarian characteristics, plus the traditional experience of rearing cows, should normally have comparative advantages in producing ample milk and milk products. If the dairy industry here develops fast and properly, then several useful ends can be served. First of all, it would mean considerable import substitution and saving of resources. Bangladesh is importing its requirements of milk at high cost. The import prices have sharply increased in recent months making the total costs of imports much bigger. Taka 10 billion worth of milk and powdered milk was imported last year whereas the expenditure on imports for them was about Taka 2.2 billion in 1996 indicating the fast rise in the imported amounts of powdered milk as well as their gradually rising prices.
The nutrition picture of the country can change positively and quickly with significantly increased production of milk locally. An improved and enlarged dairy industry will create employment opportunities where it matters the greatest-- at grassroots level. The dairy industry taking-off on a large scale will create jobs in the countryside where the greatest number of people are concentrated. The main occupation in rural areas presently is cultivation of crops. But this sector's further employment prospects are negligible or non-existent.. Alternative employment avenues need to be created and dotting the countryside with dairies can lead to growing employment opportunities for a growing number of people. Many will be engaged directly in the numerous small dairy farms. Others will find employment in the carrying and distribution of the milk and yet others in its storage and related activities. Many will also find employment in meeting the needs of these farms from fodder to various appliances. The livestock population will increase and cow hides in greater number will be available for the leather industry. Food industries in milk-based products such as curd, ghee, ice cream, sweetmeats etc., will flourish creating more income and more employment opportunities. Thus, there is every reason to vigorously promote the development of the local dairy industry.
The first step in this endeavour needs to be encouraged, especially the rural people to rear cows. It appears that institutional credits specifically for the purpose is scanty or difficult to access. Government can adopt a policy in this regard and have it implemented very extensively through the Krishi Bank and other mediums to provide credits to persons willing to rear cows in the rural areas on easy terms. This would surely be a big stimulus for cow rearing as rural people will be encouraged to go for a good source of earning on the side. Many people finding little or no earning prospects from the traditional farming of cereals and other crops, are very keen to explore other ways of alternative income. They would very probably come forward to make good use of such loans to help themselves and in the process output of milk would rise substantially.
Government should also help out in the development and sustaining of a growing dairy industry through research activities and breeding of healthier varieties of cows. It is obvious that rural small producers of dairy products on their own will never have the resources to invest in such projects. The few modern and large scale dairy industries which are there in the private sector are facing difficulties and would not be so interested to sink funds into research activities. But the government should have the resources to invest in such projects of starting a breeding programme to fine-tune the bovine characteristics. Under such a programme, stronger and more productive cows can be reared and sold to the small scale dairy entrepreneurs in the rural areas. Government ideally should aim for such a project to be a break-even type or one making nominal profits. But there is a possibility that it could flourish automatically to become an attractive paying concern for the government even from the nominal returns. The nominal returns may accumulate into huge amounts. Side by side, the government-conducted veterinary services throughout the country will have to be expanded and improved as supportive of the growing dairy enterprises.
THE nutritional state of the people of Bangladesh is seen as among the poorest in South Asia, not to talk about the rating in the world context. But there is time to think and take actions because the situation of lack of basic nutrition is turning even worse in this country. Rice is the staple diet but its poor level of production and consumption recently is turning into an worrisome issue. But the all round nutritional benefits of rice is doubted. Apart from being a source of carbohydrate or energy, its food value for building and retaining strong bodies is not very high. Fish, the main source of protein in the country -- specially for the poor --is also becoming costlier.
Only the price, availability and consumption of milk in the country should give one the idea about the threatened nutrition of people of all ages . Milk is regarded as the ideal food for humans in all age groups. Infants are the first to enjoy it and gain from the breast milk they consume from mothers. But even lactating mothers need to consume cow's milk and other nutrients to produce enough breast milk to feed their infants. It is doubtful whether mothers in Bangladesh generally are drinking enough cow's milk and other foods having good nutritional values from the inability to pay for their high prices.
Cow's milk is regarded by nutritionists as the most complete food after mother's milk. Mother's milk contains all the nutrients needed for the survival and growth of infants in the early months. It even protects infants from diseases. After the stage of infancy is passed and mothers' milk is not available, human babies can only depend on one such complete food including all the vital nutrients and this is cow's milk. Not only babies, adults of different ages can similarly protect their health by including some milk and milk-based products in their diets. Milk is specially required by humans in old age to maintain their bone health. The greatest need of cow's milk is for children for their all round nutrition and growth.
But cow's milk is becoming more and more pricey. It went out of the purchasing power of the poor or the borderline poor families sometime ago. Now, the same situation is facing probably the majority of the ordinary middle class families. They are either cutting down on the amount of milk they would ordinarily like to give to their children every day or are giving none at all. The price of milk is simply becoming unaffordable for them. There is no need to say that the nutritional deficiency caused to children as they are not getting enough milk or no milk in their diets, can be very great. Mentally and physically impaired young adults could be the result of it. The medical dangers to the old ones among the population from less drinking or no drinking of milk, could soar.
In the last one year, the per litre price of milk has increased by taka 10 to 20. The price of a bag of 1 litre of milk produced by the state-run cooperative Milk Vita, is sold at the company price of Taka 40 after keeping the retailers' commission. But the retailers say that they get the milk after several changes of hand and, therefore, they have to sell at a higher price above taka 40. Thus, there is no uniform price of Milk Vita milk at the retail level. One litre may cost taka 44 in one shop and taka 50 in another. During occasions such as Eid when milk is demanded in greater amount, the milk bags simply vanish from some shops and can be found in others only at unusually high prices. No satisfactory explanations are given for this conduct.
The scene in respect of imported milk powder is even worse. The per kg cost of powered milk rose to taka 150-170 in the last one year. For a middle class household, purchasing several 5 kg cans of powdered milk at such prices to feed regularly even one baby, means a big blow to their modest family budget. Thus, reportedly, many such families are feeding their children with much less milk or no milk at all.
Unethical activities are, of course, involved in the shooting up prices of milk. But a major reason is also the condition of scarcity. If supplies of milk within the country increased substantially, then the urge and necessity on the part of its producers and sellers would also increase to quickly dispose of their produce through persuading the consumers by offering reasonable prices. The perishable nature of milk would add to their urgency. Even the common economic law says that price of a commodity is affected by its supply. If its demand is high but supply low, then its price climbs exploiting the mismatch between demand and supply. The demand for milk is far above the supply in the country and the producers and suppliers are utilising this advantage to the fullest. If Bangladesh should provide adequate milk for consumption to its people, then by international nutritional standards, it needs to produce annually a quantity of 10.22 billion litres of milk. But the actual production of milk in the country is only about 1.75 billion litres which is nearly one-tenth of the demanded amount.
But Bangladesh with its predominant number of rural people in the country, its agrarian characteristics, plus the traditional experience of rearing cows, should normally have comparative advantages in producing ample milk and milk products. If the dairy industry here develops fast and properly, then several useful ends can be served. First of all, it would mean considerable import substitution and saving of resources. Bangladesh is importing its requirements of milk at high cost. The import prices have sharply increased in recent months making the total costs of imports much bigger. Taka 10 billion worth of milk and powdered milk was imported last year whereas the expenditure on imports for them was about Taka 2.2 billion in 1996 indicating the fast rise in the imported amounts of powdered milk as well as their gradually rising prices.
The nutrition picture of the country can change positively and quickly with significantly increased production of milk locally. An improved and enlarged dairy industry will create employment opportunities where it matters the greatest-- at grassroots level. The dairy industry taking-off on a large scale will create jobs in the countryside where the greatest number of people are concentrated. The main occupation in rural areas presently is cultivation of crops. But this sector's further employment prospects are negligible or non-existent.. Alternative employment avenues need to be created and dotting the countryside with dairies can lead to growing employment opportunities for a growing number of people. Many will be engaged directly in the numerous small dairy farms. Others will find employment in the carrying and distribution of the milk and yet others in its storage and related activities. Many will also find employment in meeting the needs of these farms from fodder to various appliances. The livestock population will increase and cow hides in greater number will be available for the leather industry. Food industries in milk-based products such as curd, ghee, ice cream, sweetmeats etc., will flourish creating more income and more employment opportunities. Thus, there is every reason to vigorously promote the development of the local dairy industry.
The first step in this endeavour needs to be encouraged, especially the rural people to rear cows. It appears that institutional credits specifically for the purpose is scanty or difficult to access. Government can adopt a policy in this regard and have it implemented very extensively through the Krishi Bank and other mediums to provide credits to persons willing to rear cows in the rural areas on easy terms. This would surely be a big stimulus for cow rearing as rural people will be encouraged to go for a good source of earning on the side. Many people finding little or no earning prospects from the traditional farming of cereals and other crops, are very keen to explore other ways of alternative income. They would very probably come forward to make good use of such loans to help themselves and in the process output of milk would rise substantially.
Government should also help out in the development and sustaining of a growing dairy industry through research activities and breeding of healthier varieties of cows. It is obvious that rural small producers of dairy products on their own will never have the resources to invest in such projects. The few modern and large scale dairy industries which are there in the private sector are facing difficulties and would not be so interested to sink funds into research activities. But the government should have the resources to invest in such projects of starting a breeding programme to fine-tune the bovine characteristics. Under such a programme, stronger and more productive cows can be reared and sold to the small scale dairy entrepreneurs in the rural areas. Government ideally should aim for such a project to be a break-even type or one making nominal profits. But there is a possibility that it could flourish automatically to become an attractive paying concern for the government even from the nominal returns. The nominal returns may accumulate into huge amounts. Side by side, the government-conducted veterinary services throughout the country will have to be expanded and improved as supportive of the growing dairy enterprises.