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What is non-veg milk: America and India are at loggerheads over non-veg milk. America wants to sell non-vegetarian milk in India but India does not want to sell it at any cost. But this matter has become so serious that the trade agreement between the two countries has come to a halt.
Non-Veg Milk: Broadly speaking our country is vegetarian. However, this does not mean that none of us eat meat and fish, rather most of the people eat it but in limited quantities. Therefore, if we remove 15-20 percent people, then 80 percent of the people of the country are vegetarian or eat meat and fish in limited quantities. This is a country of pulses and milk. Mainly milk is obtained from buffalo or cow. Cow is revered for us. But assume that someone sells you the milk of a cow which is non-vegetarian. Will you tolerate it? Your blood will boil. The Indian government is also not going to tolerate this milk at any cost, but due to this one case, the annual trade agreement between India and America worth 500 crore dollars has stopped. America says that if there is a compromise, then allow the milk of our country to be sold in India. But India is not in favor of accepting this milk at any cost. Now due to this reason the trade agreement between the two countries has stopped. In such a situation, it is interesting to know what this non-veg milk is.
What is non veg milk?
In our country, cows are fed pure fodder. Even most religious Hindus never feed a cow. But in America and European countries, milch cows or other animals are fed by mixing meat in the fodder. On the basis of American newspaper and many other intelligence information, it has been said that in America, cows are fed fodder along with pig, fish, chicken, horse and even dog and cat meat. For protein, these people give cow’s fodder mixed with pig’s and horse’s blood. By feeding these things it is believed that the cow remains healthy and also gives more milk. Although there are rules in place to prevent the spread of diseases regarding the use of animal parts in animal feed, animal feathers, chicken droppings and other animal products are used indiscriminately in low-cost feed.
Whatever happens to the India-US agreement, the Indian government does not want to allow this non-veg milk to be sold in its country at any cost, but America is adamant and is saying that we will not do a trade deal until our dairy products are allowed to be sold there. India has said that if it is proved that the milk is not non-veg, then we are ready to take it but it should meet our standards. When America could not win over India in direct talks, it took the matter to the World Trade Organization (WTO). That means a case was filed against India. Indian officials are giving appropriate response there. India has refused to allow American dairy imports there, citing cultural concerns.
Why India does not accept non-veg milk?
We all know that most of the population of India is a follower of Hindu religion. According to the World Atlas Report, 38 percent people in India are vegetarian. As much as cow is revered for us, we consider cow’s milk and the ghee obtained from that milk more sacred because we offer cow’s milk to God and light lamps with ghee every day. Now just imagine what would happen if someone comes to know that the ghee lamp you keep in front of God is made from a non-vegetarian cow. Ajay Srivastava of Global Trade Research Institute told PTI that imagine the ghee being prepared is prepared from another cow that eats meat and blood, will India ever accept it. India’s dairy sector plays an important role in the rural economy. It shares 2.5 to 3 percent share in GVA in National Gross Value Added. If we look at it in rupee terms, the dairy industry contributes Rs 7.5 to Rs 9 lakh crore to the rural economy.
India does not want to buy milk from other countries
On one hand America is pressurizing India to buy milk but on the other hand the reality is that India does not want to buy milk from any other country. India is the largest milk producing country in the world. According to the Animal Husbandry report, 23.94 crore tonnes of milk was produced in India in 2023-24. 140 crore people of the country are dependent on this milk. 8 crore people are earning their livelihood in the field of milk or dairy production. But America is trying to produce 10.39 crore tonnes of milk and sell it to us. Just imagine what will happen to our milk if America’s milk comes to India. SBI has said in a recent analysis that if American milk is allowed to be imported into India, then India will have to suffer an annual loss of Rs 1.03 lakh crore. Therefore, the Indian Government’s stance on this is very strict. It is already imposing heavy duty on dairy products imported from other countries. The Indian government has already imposed a tariff of 30 percent on cheese imported from abroad, 40 percent on butter and 60 percent on milk powder.
India-US trade halted
Currently there is a trade of 119 billion dollars between India and America. India has the upper hand in trade balance because India exports $77 billion to America. US President Donald Trump is angry with countries around the world because they have a weak upper hand in the trade balance. On the other hand, other countries impose heavy import taxes on American goods but we impose very low tariffs on their country’s goods. Angered by this, Trump had announced heavy tariffs against many countries. Tariff up to 30 percent was imposed against India. Later America wants to compromise with all the countries. India and America want to increase bilateral trade to 500 billion dollars by 2030, hence for the last several months, talks have been going on between the two countries as to how much tariff should be imposed on which goods. But America has created a problem on the issue of selling milk, while India is trying to bring it to its knees.
