Bihar seeks ban on casein, milk powder export

In view of Union Agriculture Minister Mr. Sharad Pawar’s remarks on milk shortage in North India, the Bihar State Government on Saturday appealed to the Centre to ban the exports of milk-based products, especially Casein, which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the protein content in cow milk and cheese.

Speaking to newsmen, Deputy Chief Minister and State Finance Minister, Mr. Sushil Kumar Modi said, “the Centre must impose restrictions on the export of Casein, which was widely exported to international markets, and had a myriad uses in food products, medicines, plastic and paper. We also request that the export duty on Casein and milk powder be accordingly raised to check the dairy price rise.”

Saying that the export of milk and milk-based products would result in price rise Mr. Modi added, “Bihar is at present supplying nearly One lakh litres of milk per day to Delhi, Orissa and West Bengal to tide over the dairy shortage.”

Mr. Modi also said as cattle feed prices had dramatically shot up in the last few days, the Centre should wake up to the fact and accordingly stop the exports of cattle feed raw material as well.

Mr. Modi stated that the price of de-oiled rice husks had shot up from Rs. 3,125 per metric tonne in January 2009 to Rs. 5,625 per metric tonne in January 2010, while the per metric tonne cost of rice bran for the same period had soared from Rs.5,899 to Rs.8,825 per metric tonne.

Earlier on Friday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while assuring that the State was not facing any shortage in the milk supply currently had said that “the State’s popular milk brand ‘Sudha,’ and its regulating body, Bihar State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation (COMFED) had decided not to raise milk prices as of now.

“On our part, we are diligently following the Centre’s directives to curb the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities,” said Mr. Kumar, adding “Bihar had already done away with the process of levying 4per cent VAT on sugar prior to the Centre issuing that directive to the states.”