Dairy Product Imports Soar During Apr-Dec 2010-11.

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) India, the world''s largest milk producer, imported nearly 51,500 tonnes of dairy products in the first nine months of last fiscal.

The country imported 51,489.91 tonnes of dairy products during April-December period of 2010-11 fiscal as against 31,478.58 tonnes in the entire previous year, Minister of State for Agriculture Charan Das Mahant said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

The export of dairy products stood at 34,841.03 tonnes in the first nine months of 2010-11 against 42,680.70 tonnes in the entire 2009-10 fiscal, he said.

The government has imposed a ban on export of milk and milk products and casein and casein products since February 18 this year to shore up supplies and contain increase in prices, the minister said.

In reply to an another question, the minister said milk prices have been raised twice during the last one year (August 2010 to August 2011) by Delhi Milk Scheme (DMS) and Mother Dairy due to increase in cost of production.

While milk prices increased by Re 1 per litre by DMS and Mother Dairy on December 24, 2010 they were hiked by Rs 2 a litre on May 18 this year, Mahant said.

On steps taken to augment availability of milk and to stabilise price, he said the National Dairy Development Board has been allowed to import 30,000 tonnes of skimmed milk powder and 15,000 tonnes of butter, butter oil and anhydrous milk at zero concessional duty.

India''s milk production currently stands at 112 million tonnes.

Source : news.in.msn.com