Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday opposed any Government plan to import milk products such as butter and ghee, contending that it would impede the revival of the dairy sector.
In a letter to Parshottam Rupala, the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Pawar referred to media reports about the government’s “intention” to import dairy products such as butter and ghee. After 2011, India is mulling to import dairy products amid shortage of milk production.
Meanwhile, the ministry in a statement said that to meet the growing demand and considering the fact that the supply of milk in the ensuing summer season being a lean season may be less, there were demands from several dairy cooperatives for import of conserved dairy commodities – milk fat and powder. “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. However, in that case also it will be ensured that it is routed only through the National Dairy Development Board’s (NDDB) and the needy Unions may be given the stocks at the market price after proper assessment. This will ensure that the market is not distorted and interests of our dairy farmer is protected, which is paramount and central to any decision taken by the Government,” the ministry said.
In the letter, Pawar said that any decision by the central government in this regard will be totally unacceptable because the import of these products will directly affect the income of the domestic milk producers.
He said the dairy farmers have recently come out of the unprecedented Covid crisis and such a decision will severely impede the sector’s revival process. “My concern may please be heeded. I shall be happy if the matter is looked into and the ministry deters itself from taking any decision to import the milk products,” Pawar said.
However, there has been some demand and supply gap observed in the dairy sector- primarily due to increased demand for nutritious, safe and hygienic milk and milk products post Covid pandemic. With this background, NDDB along with the 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 manage the situation in case of any eventuality, the Ministry said.