India may import dairy products amid stagnant milk production

India may consider importing dairy products if necessary as there is a supply constraint for these items due to stagnant milk production in the last fiscal year, a senior government official said on Wednesday. The government will intervene to import dairy products such as butter and ghee if needed after assessing the position of milk stocks in southern states where the peak production season has now started, he added. Milk production in the country was 221 million tonnes in 2021-22, up 6.25% from 208 million tonnes the previous year, as per official data. At a news conference, Livestock and Dairy Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said that the country's milk production remained stagnant in the 2022-23 fiscal year due to a skin disease in the cattle, while domestic demand grew from 8 to 10% in the same period due to the resumption of post-pandemic demand. "There is no restriction on the supply of milk per se in the country. There is an adequate stock of skimmed milk powder. But in the ...