Import ban on milk items from China extended by one year

The government has again extended the ban on imports of milk and its products from China for one more year till June 2015.

"Prohibition on import of milk and milk products (including chocolates and chocolate products and candies/ confectionery/ food preparations with milk or milk solids as an ingredient) from China is extended for one more year, i.E., till 23.6.2015 or until further orders, whichever is earlier," Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

The ban, which expired on June 23, is extended every year.

India had first imposed the ban in September 2008 due to presence of melamine, used for making plastics and fertiliser.

India, however, does not import milk products from China, but as a preventive measure, it has imposed the ban.

The country's milk production is estimated to have increased by 6 per cent to about 140 million tonnes in 2013-14 from 132.4 million tonnes during the previous fiscal. India is the world's largest producer and consumer of milk.

Among states, Uttar Pradesh continued to remain the leading milk producer, followed by Rajasthan and Gujarat, whereas, the per capita demand was maximum in Punjab followed by Haryana in 2013-14.

Recently, all major milk producers including Mother Dairy and Amul had raised milk prices by Rs 2 per litre across all variants due to increase in procurement costs.