Dairy cooperatives approach Centre, seek export incentives to tide over COVID-19 crisis

The demand for milk and milk products witnessed a steep decline due to the COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown.

Moneycontrol News

July 29, 2020 / 04:35 PM IST

Milk cooperatives have approached the Centre and asked for export incentives to help tide over the COVID-19 crisis. Cooperatives have sought a scheme to distribute milk in anganwadis, schools, and hospitals that treat coronavirus patients to reduce inventories of unsold skimmed milk powder (SMP) and other products.

The cooperatives have claimed that they would be forced to cut down their milk procurement price in the coming months if the support is not made available. Till now, the cooperatives, unlike their private counterparts, have managed to hold on to the procurement price despite a sharp drop in demand, reported Business Standard.

The demand for milk and milk products witnessed a steep decline due to the COVID-19 induced nationwide lockdown, which forced hotels, restaurants, sweetmeat shops to remain shut. While the lockdown has been lifted, things are yet to normalise.

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The cooperatives have sought to bring dairy products under the ongoing Transport and Marketing Assistance Scheme (TMAS) for agriculture products. Additionally, they want export incentives on the revamped Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) to be raised to 20 percent from the present 5 percent .

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