Got butter? Raise a toast
Radha Anand (45) is not lavishing butter on her son’s morning toasts these days. It’s not the price of butter or her son’s waistline that’s bothering Anand. Meher Ali reports.
Radha Anand (45) is not lavishing butter on her son’s morning toasts these days. It’s not the price of butter or her son’s waistline that’s bothering Anand. She’s worried about the shortage of butter in the market that set in around a month ago. “We’ve been facing a shortage of 500g Amul packs for one month now,” said Mansoor Jafri, a general store owner near Khan Market. TN Pandey, another shopkeeper, said 60 per cent of his customers demand the 500g pack.
Every day, both Jafri and Pandey get 20-25 enquiries each for the family-size pack. Customers have to return with the 100g packs instead.
“Even small packs were in short supply two weeks ago, and fetched a premium,” Jafri said.
“People living away from this locality come to my shop for butter. That’s how severe the shortage is,” said Pandey.
The shortage affects all of Delhi, and even the suburbs.
“Amul distributors used to book orders from us for 30 packs of 500g and 100 packs of 100g. Now, the 500g pack has been withdrawn and we get only 5-10 packs of 100g,” said Jimmy Wadhawan, a general store owner in Defence Colony.
Another storeowner in Defence Colony said, “At least Amul is still trying to supply us with butter. Britannia, Verka and Mother Dairy do not even have their butter in the market.”
Reasons for shortage
Recent reports on adulteration in milk products have increased the demand for Amul ghee and butter, said RS Sodi, chief general manager of Amul in Anand, Gujarat.
“There was a 30 per cent increase in our sales, and our inventories ran out.”
Monsoon delay also decreased milk yield, bringing down the supply of butter, Sodi said. He said, for Delhi, the priority was to supply liquid milk and infant milk.
Sodi assured that the shortage of Amul butter would be over within two weeks.