AMMAN — Although news outlets quoted the
minister of agriculture telling his trade, industry, and supply counterpart that a
specialized committee recommended a JD0.10 raise in milk prices to JD0.53, the
ministries denied that a final decision had been taken.
اضافة اعلان
Meanwhile, cow breeders say that their sector has
been losing JD2 million each month, which started when lockdowns were imposed
in the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic and persisted afterwards as a result of
climbing fodder prices.
A committee, which was formed to review the costs of
producing fresh milk, recommended a raise in price. The committee included
representatives of the Agriculture Ministry in partnership with the Cooperative
Society of Cattle Owners and
Milk Producers.
But later, the ministries of agriculture and
industry said that they would not bear responsibility for the raised price of
milk.
Yanal Al-Barmawi, the spokesperson for the Industry
Ministry told
Jordan News that a decision on this matter “is the
prerogative of the Ministry of Agriculture”.
But Lawrence Al-Majali, spokesperson for the
Agriculture Ministry, said that “protecting cow breeders is the duty on the
Ministry of Agriculture, especially since they are under our umbrella.”
He explained that the committee was impartial and
that it meetings followed complaints by the breeders about the “difficult
economic conditions they are going through”.
“But this decision is a preliminary and supervisory
decision and does not fall within the powers of our ministry to raise the price
or not.
The Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply has the right to set price
ceilings as well,” he added.
“Also, products in Jordan are subject to the policy
of supply and demand, which means that setting prices is not within our
powers”, he said.
President of the Cooperative Society for Cattle
Owners and Milk Producers Laith Al-Hajj told
Jordan News that “the sector’s
losses currently amount to approximately JD2 million per month”.
He explained that “the cost is set at JD0.53/kg and
it aims at protecting farmers, not harming citizens.”
He said that “we had been going through difficult
conditions since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what made the
situation more difficult is the Russian war on Ukraine and the unexpected
increase in feed prices.”
“We asked the Ministry of Agriculture to form a
neutral committee to study the situation and thus raise costs,” he said.
“Raising costs never means raising the profit margin, but this is the least
that can be done to stand by the sector and support it.”
Hajj stressed that “the sector may lose a large
number of its workers if conditions continue as they are, and this means that
we may have to import products from abroad, and this is an absolutely useless
solution, especially with the difficult food conditions and the hard economic
conditions.”
He said “it was agreed that the fodder would not be
subject to a tax, and we are in great need of this decision, especially since I
believe that we are the only country in which a tax is imposed on feed.”
He cited the need to stand by this sector and to
support its members, adding that “taking equitable measures such as raising
costs and canceling the tax imposed on feed will allow workers to stand on
their feet again”.
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