MLAs oppose Centre's plan to import dairy products

Concerned about the prospects of local milk federations, political leaders opposed a proposal by the Centre to import dairy products, during the Legislative Assembly session Saturday.

The Centre has mulled a proposal to import dairy products from New Zealand and Australia. “However, this would be detrimental to the sustenance of Indian dairy industry,” said former KMF chairman and BJP leader G Somashekara Reddy.

Speaking on the issue in the Assembly, he said domestic farmers would have to bear the brunt on such a decision. Karnataka is only second to Gujarat, with milk production of 80 lakh litres a day. New Zealand is the largest exporter of dairy products in the world.

JD(S) leader and former Animal Husbandry Minister Venkatarao Nadagouda also expressed concerns about the proposal, saying that the move would eventually reduce demand for domestic dairy products.

The legislators urged the state government to take up the matter with the Centre.

The proposal came up in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership meeting, a proposed Free Trade Agreement between the 10 ASEAN countries and six FTA partners which include Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.