Who Is Responsible?

If it is true that 92 percent of fresh milk is substandard, then the Livestock Department should be closed, the Food Authority should be locked up, and the campuses of veterinary educational institutions in cities should be converted into shopping malls and the campuses in the surrounding areas should be cut into housing societies. By the way, the path on which these veterinary universities and other institutions have embarked, it is certain that they will all be closed, because with these ambiguous and dubious measures, neither dairy farms nor livestock will survive. Now there are not so many pet dogs and cats in Pakistan for the state to bear the burden of these institutions to serve.

Loose Milk Survey and Sampling

After collecting twelve hundred samples from eleven cities and conducting a research and survey based on an alleged conflict of interest, they issue a fatwa for the whole of Pakistan that 92 percent of raw milk is substandard. They choose a luxurious hotel to announce this and gather the media from all over Pakistan to humiliate one product in the market compared to another.

Then big channels report it and a specific social media platform promotes it. The same platform that has been attacking Pakistan’s livestock sector for the past few years, sometimes in the name of clean milk and sometimes in the name of safe milk. Where does the government agency of a poor country get the money for this spectacle?

Quality of Loose Milk and Conflict of Interest 

First hired medical doctors were selected, then a few anchors and media houses and now the university has been used. Now this research will be widely touted in the media and those who touted it will not come to light. It was a bold move and the name of the company that allegedly funded this survey or research was also to be mentioned in the big hall of the hotel. Although this survey was presented under the guise of a research center established in the university, but according to my sources, there is an undisclosed milk-related business entity behind it and a few imprisoned minds of the university have been allegedly used for it, knowingly or unknowingly.

Quality of Loose Milk vs Packaged Milk

If the university’s human nutrition department was as concerned about the quality of milk, they would have collected a few colorful samples of milk from open milk shops as well as big stores in Lahore and then told what kind of milk it contains and where it comes from. This will not happen because it is easy to target the poor and the common man. The institution should first tell the public what is real milk and what is fake milk, instead of discussing standard and substandard milk.

Loose Milk Survey the Imported Milk Powder

The same university has issued a paper regarding the import of dry milk and whey powder and has also demanded an increase in duty and a ban on it. Before taking funding for the survey, the surveyors should have also seen who is ordering this powder and who is obstructing the increase in duty or ban on it. The research and survey against open milk will make the university think about whom it is allegedly supporting!

A Systematic Campaign Against Fresh Milk

For the last three to four years, there has been a systematic effort to somehow ban fresh milk and for this, a campaign is being run against fresh milk in a very systematic manner. It should be clear that such an advertising campaign was banned after a warning from PEMRA. That is why veterinary educational institutions are being taken for help now.

Negative Marketing Should Not Be Disguised as Research

Everyone has the right to advertise their product and for this, all types of milk sellers should also advertise. But they should not take the path of negative marketing to make a place in the market for their product and for this, educational and research institutions should at least not be made controversial.

Public Reaction to the Loose Milk Survey 

The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore is facing severe criticism for this move and a strong public reaction is also coming out in this regard. On the other hand, Pakistan’s livestock farmers, dairy farmers and other relevant stakeholders are also protesting. The Veterinary University should avoid such controversial steps. Now is not the time to create a special narrative by taking the help of national media. This is the era of social media, the answer is found before the media responds. It should be understood that with the help of media and power, opportunities for discussion will be found in the charming, cool meeting rooms of large hotels, but reputation will be greatly affected.