Consumer watchdog slams rise in milk price

THE PRESIDENT of the Consumers’ Protection Association has lashed out at a planned rise in the price of milk, describing the hike as “totally unjustified”.

Milk prices in Cyprus are set to rise because of the spiralling cost of petrol and the new increase in the price of raw materials from farmers.

Petros Markou told the Cyprus Mail, “Our association considers the increase in the price of milk to be totally unjustified, especially if we consider the fact that in Cyprus we are paying the most for milk from all the EU countries.”

Charalambides dairy was the first to impose the new prices on the market this week. In a letter circulated to its suppliers, the company informed them of the new price, which will apply to local milk and also to Greek chocolate milk.

Price increases in milk are also expected from other dairy-farms, such as Kristis and Lanitis. As the price of raw materials has increased, dairy products are expected to follow suit soon.

From July 15, consumers will buy fresh milk by the Charalambides company for €1.28 a litre, instead of €1.25. The proposed prices are mainly charged by bakeries and kiosks, while big supermarkets, who buy in larger quantities, sell much more cheaply. The retail price of fresh milk in the supermarkets today is around €1.05 to €1.15 a litre.

The price of fresh, pasteurised milk changed to €1.25 a litre on January 1. The previous price was €1.16 in September.

Based on the agreement between farmers and the dairy industry, the basic price of cows milk to the producer was increased at ten cents in two stages, with the price touching upon 48 cents from the 38 cents it was up until December 31, 2007.

The retail price of fresh milk from September 2007 was increased at 12 cents – an increase of ten per cent.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.