India stands firm against pressures to Open Dairy Sector to Foreign Players

New Delhi will not capitulate to US demands for opening India's markets to the American dairy industry with agricultural issues featuring among vexed subjects in the bilateral trade treaty negotiations, even as talks reach the much-anticipated culminating point. Experts support the government's strong stand that has recently been reiterated by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

- 

“The moment we allow the import of dairy products we're totally going to kill it," said ex-Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Tarun Shridhar. “However, we do allow import of certain milk-based proteins for therapeutic purposes, usually on a case-to-case basis,” added the former bureaucrat who has had a long stint in agriculture and related sectors.

He recounted an experience when a multinational sought clearance for importing such proteins for baby food with incidents of children suffering from wasting and stunting. Stunting refers to the impaired growth and development in children, and wasting is the rapid loss in weight and muscle.

Needless to say, such requests are more often met with a positive reaction from officials. Thus, New Delhi currently allows imports of lactose and albumins including whey protein to meet domestic requirements.