MUMBAI: NCP chief and former Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has written to the Union ministry of animal husbandry and dairying requesting it to reconsider its decision of importing dairy products like butter and ghee.
“Such a decision is totally unacceptable because the import of these products will directly affect the income of the domestic milk producers. 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,” he tweeted.
The NCP supremo said he had come across news that such a move was on the cards. “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. 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,” he wrote.
“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,” reads the letter. On Wednesday, media reports had quoted animal husbandry and dairying secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh as saying that the country may look at importing dairy products if needed as there is a supply constraint for such items due to milk production remaining stagnant in the last fiscal.
“The government will intervene to import dairy products like butter and ghee, if required, after assessing the stock position of milk in southern states, where the flushing (peak production) season has started now,” he said. Addressing a press conference, Singh said the country’s milk production remained stagnant in the 2022-23 fiscal due to lumpy skin disease in cattle, while the domestic demand grew by 8-10 per cent in the same period due to a rebound in the post-pandemic demand.
“There is no constraint in milk supply as such in the country...There is an adequate inventory of skimmed milk powder (SMP). But in the case of dairy products, especially fats, butter and ghee etc, the stocks are lower than the previous year,” he said. The 2022 lumpy skin disease outbreak in India resulted in the death of over 97,000 cattle in three months between July and September 23. Starting from Gujarat and Rajasthan, in three months, cattle in 15 states were affected.