India may consider dairy products' import on tight supply amid stagnant milk output

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, a top government official said on Wednesday. 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 added. Milk output in the country stood at 221 million tonnes in 2021-22, up 6.25 per cent from 208 million tonnes in the previous year, as per the official data. Addressing a press conference, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Secretary Rajesh Kumar 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 because of a rebound in the post-pandemic demand. There is no constraint in milk supply as such in the country... There is an adequate ...