India extends ban on milk imports from China .

New Delhi - India has extended the ban on Chinese milk and milk products for another six months, according to a government notification.

"The central (federal) government further extends the prohibition on import of milk and milk products, including chocolates and chocolate products and candies, confectionery, food preparations with milk or milk solids as an ingredient, from China," said a notification issued Thursday from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.(DGFT) in the Commerce Ministry.

Imports of milk and milk products from China have been banned since September 2008 with periodic extensions..

Chinese milk products were banned after traces of melamine - a chemical which can cause problems such as kidney stones - were found resulting in widespread bans across various countries, including India, across the globe

The government's order, however, did not give any reason for the extension of the ban, Indian news reports said Friday.

India accounts for 15 per cent of the world's production of milk. It intends to increase milk capacity to 111 million tons per annum by 2010 from the existing 101 million tons.

India in 2008 produced 70,000 tons of dairy products, which was about one percent of the total milk production..


Source : Earth Times