APEDA organizes webinar to commemorate the World Milk Day

Harnessing India’s export potential of dairy products

NEW DELHI, 3 JUNE 2021: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (​APEDA) in association with the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MFAHD) organized a webinar cum interactive session on the prospects of harnessing the full potential of dairy products exports from the country on the occasion of World Milk Day.

Secretary MFAHD Atul Chaturvedi while delivering a keynote address at the webinar said India is Atmanirbhar in the production of milk and has enough surplus produce to export. He shared the progress made in production and export growth in dairy products.

He also mentioned that COVID has provided a lesson that for boosting immunity, dairy products have that potential. There is a big need for niche products for the class who are ready to pay any price for the quality product. He also mentioned the schemes and programs of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying like the National Program for Dairy Development, National Livestock Mission, Livestock Health and Disease Control, and Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund, etc.

Stressing on the health needs of the livestock population through vaccination, Chaturvedi noted that Animal Disease Control Program was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi under Central Sector Scheme. “We will achieve our target with these initiatives for making India free from Foot and Mouth Disease with vaccination by 2025 and without vaccination by 2030,” he said at the webinar.

For ensuring availability of quality fodder and feed for the cattle nutrition through Pashuaadhar for traceability for the animals. MFAHD has a scheme for developing infrastructure under Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) under AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Besides several incentives are being provided for the promotion of investments by individual entrepreneurs, private companies, MSME, Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs), and companies to establish the dairy processing and value addition infrastructure and Animal Feed Plant.

Joint Secretary, MFAHD Dr. Varsha Joshi mentioned that measures are being taken for constraints faced by the dairy exporters. She said that an Investment Promotion Desk is established to support the dairy entrepreneurs. She mentioned that market promotion is required to promote dairy products and in association with APEDA.

APEDA Chairman Dr. M Angamuthu said that the time has come to promote the FPOs, dairy farmers, or cooperatives to export dairy products directly to global destinations. Meenesh C Shah, Executive Director, National Dairy Development Board also shared their views on the Overall scenario of the Dairy sector in India.

On the behalf of the exporters Dr. R S Sodhi, Managing Director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) also known as AMUL, shared the constraints being faced in exports i.e market access issues in China, EU, South Africa, and Mexico, Sodhi said that high import duty charged by SAARC and neighboring countries such as Bangladesh (35%) and Pakistan (45%).  Sodhi also noted that major importing countries have imposed much higher import duty on dairy products from India.

Image credit: healthwaysdairy.com