India not to import butter, other dairy items, said dairy minister Parshottam Rupala

Union minister Parshottam Rupala on Friday made it clear that the country will not import dairy products like butter and said the supplies will be improved with the help of huge untapped domestic sector.

"There is no truth in it (shortage of dairy products). No import will take place," Rupala, who is incharge of ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, told reporters on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi. He said there is no shortage of milk in the country and the government is regularly monitoring the situation.

"The demand has increased. We have huge untapped area, we will try to tap that...We will manage it properly and there is no need to worry," he said and urged farmers and consumers not to worry about it. On rise in retail prices of dairy products, the minister said there is no need to worry about the prices. Farmers are getting good rates.

The government is monitoring the supply-demand gap in dairy products along with NDDB and will take a decision on its imports depending on the situation. It is a fact that there has been some demand-supply gap observed in the dairy sector, primarily due to the increased consumption of nutritious, safe and hygienic milk and milk products post COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.

Amid growing demand and milk supply constraints in the ensuing summer season, there were demands from several dairy cooperatives for import of conserved dairy commodities - milk fat and powder - the ministry said in a statement. With this background, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) along with the central government has been monitoring the demand-supply situation.

"Since the process of import takes time, the necessary back-end processes are being put in place to timely manage the situation in case of any eventuality. In case the situation warrants, the import may be done to help ease out the situation for the dairy cooperatives to meet the summer demands," the ministry said.

However, in that case, it will be ensured that the imported items are routed only through NDDB and the needy dairy unions may be given the stocks at the market price after proper assessment. This will ensure that the market is not distorted and the interests of the dairy farmers are protected, which is paramount and central to any decision taken by the government, the statement said.

Meanwhile, NCP leader and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has written to the government opposing the plan to import dairy products saying it would directly affect the income of domestic milk producers. Pawar said he was opposed to any move by the central government to import dairy products, like butter and 'ghee'.

In a letter written to Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, Pawar said the import of butter and 'ghee' (clarified butter) will directly affect the income of domestic milk producers. Referring to media reports about the Centre's proposal to import some dairy products, the NCP supremo said any such decision will be totally unacceptable.

"The dairy farmers have recently come out of the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis and such a decision will severely impede the revival process of the dairy sector," the former Union agriculture minister said.