New Delhi (PTI): India's import of milk cream and butter oil increased by a whopping 1,720 per cent to Rs 39.33 crore in 2008-09 over the year-ago period forcing domestic producers to seek duty protection from the government.
The import of milk cream and butter oil in 2007-08 was a mere Rs 2.16 crore, according to official data. Imports of milk and all milk products jumped by 181 per cent to Rs 55.91 crore in the last fiscal.
Recession-hit US and other developed countries are giving subsidies to dairy exporters enabling them to dump their products in India, industry experts said.
"We have approached the Commerce Ministry seeking the increase in duty on import of butter oil to 40 per cent," Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Chief General Manager Federation R S Sodhi said. India's milk production in 2007-08 was estimated at 104.8 million tonnes.
Meanwhile, imports of other items sensitive to the interest of the small scale and the farm sectors saw a jump of 27.7 per cent to Rs 45,877 crore in 2008-09 from Rs 35,919 crore in the previous year.
These include edible oil, fruit and vegetables, automobiles, cotton and silk, rubber, alcoholic beverages, marble and granite, tea and coffee.
Source : The Hindu