'Milk output steadily rising, but exports down last year'

Milk production has been steadily rising in the country thanks to several promotional schemes launched by the government, but dairy product exports declined last fiscal, Parliament was informed today.

The country produced 112 tonnes of milk in 2009-10, compared to 108.5 tonnes in the previous year, translating into an increase of 3.5 tonnes, Minister of Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

The quantum of milk produced in the country in 2007-8 was 104.8 tonnes, the minister added. 

Quoting the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), a nodal arm of the Ministry of Commerce, Sahai said the country's exports of dairy products came down by more than half in 2009-10 in comparison to the 2008-09 financial year.

Indian dairy product exports in 2009-10 were valued at Rs 402.68 crore, compared to Rs 980.86 crore in 2008-09, the minister said. Shipments of dairy products were worth Rs 866.56 crore in 2007-08.  

Sahai, however, did not specify any reason for the drop in exports of milk products. India exports dairy products mainly to Bangladesh, the UAE, Nepal, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the Philippines and Yemen.

Imports of milk and cream into the country have more or less remained stagnant at the same level, Sahai said.

The country imported milk and cream worth Rs 29.58 crore in 2007-08 and Rs 28.90 crore in 2006-07, the minister added.

Sahai attributed the boom in milk production to government-run promotional schemes providing financial assistance for the establishment and modernisation of milk processing units, creation of infrastructure and research and development studies on food processing industries, including the dairy industry.