Centre denies plans of milk and dairy import

As per media reports, the official labeled these reports as misleading and confirmed that there have been no plans to import dairy products so far.

News reports suggesting possible import of milk and milk products were “causing apprehension among dairy farmers and other stakeholders,” animal husbandry secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

“The (animal husbandry) department has not made any decision on the importation of dairy products and this department always keeps the interests of dairy producers at the forefront when making policy decisions,” Singh said.

According to a report by HT, private imports of milk products in India increased by over 1000% to reach $4.77 billion in the 2022-23 period. This increase comes at a time when export of fat items like clarified butter (ghee) saw a surge to record levels due to high global prices.

“Inventories of butter and ghee substantially improved in February 2023 in comparison to December 2022 and is expected to be better”, Singh said. 

Stocks of skimmed milk powder in the country were adequate to keep supplies steady in the lean summer months, he added.

According to the animal husbandry secretary, the flush season for milk production in India has been extended due to the unusually heavy rains in March. This move was necessary to maintain the profitability of dairy farming and to encourage continued milk production. However, this has also led to a rise in retail milk prices, which has affected household budgets and caused concern among consumers.

An official from the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which owns the popular Amul brand, stated on March 4 that retail milk prices in India had to be increased multiple times in order to ensure that farmers receive a fair price above their cost of production.