Question : RCEP Agreement on Milk Products

(a) whether the Government had any agreement during negotiations at Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) comprising ASEAN, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea regarding the import of milk and milk products from New Zealand;
(b) if so, the details of such an agreement under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the proposal therein;
(c) whether the domestic dairy producers including co-operative milk producers union have reacted to the Free Trade Agreement(FTA);
(d) if so, the details thereof and the proposal of the Government to sustain domestic productivity, employment and milk producers in the competition thereof;
(e) the total quantum of milk and milk products in India for the current year and for each of the past three years; and
(f) whether the Government is having any proposal to reduce import duty on milk products?

THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (d): No Sir, during the 3rd RCEP Leaders Summit which was held on 4 November,2019 in Bangkok; India stated that the current structure of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) did not fully reflect the RCEP Guiding Principles or address the outstanding issues and concerns of India, in the light of which India did not join the consensus. The Government held stakeholders’ consultations including with co-operative milk producer’s union which were taken into account while formulating its position under RCEP.


(e): India’s annual production of milk during last 4 years is as under:-
Year
*Milk production (figures in Million Tonnes)
2015-16 155.5
2016-17 165.4
2017-18 176.3
**2018-19 187.7
Source: *Annual Report 2018-19 of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
** Annual “Integrated Sample Survey” of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

(f): As of date, there is no such proposal.
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