GDT Sees Broad Decline in Dairy Prices; Butter, SMP Slide
The latest Global Dairy Trade auction (Event 389) produced a broadly weaker outcome, with the GDT Price Index falling 1.6 % from the previous event. While Cheddar and anhydrous milk fat (AMF) recorded modest gains, key commodities such as butter, whole milk powder, and skim milk powder (SMP) posted declines. Key Trends: Butter & SMP…
Why India Must Turn to Dairy as a Nutrition Anchor
India’s recent Nature Medicine publication (ICMR‑INDIAB survey) shines a powerful light on what has long been suspected: our diets are dangerously imbalanced. Among 18,090 adults studied, 62% of daily calories came from carbohydrates, while protein made up just 12% and fats 25%. Critically, replacing just 5% of carb calories with protein from dairy, legumes, egg…
Danone’s procurement battles methane in African dairy
Danone has placed sustainable procurement at the heart of its climate strategy in African dairy supply chains, aiming to drastically cut methane emissions. Fresh milk, which contributes nearly 70% of the company’s dairy emissions, is the focal point. To achieve its goal of a 30% reduction in methane emissions by 2030 (from a 2020 baseline),…
GST cuts boost dairy, agriculture in Bihar
The Government has rolled out GST rate rationalisation, cutting tax burdens across agriculture and dairy in Bihar. Key measures include making UHT milk and paneer GST-free, reducing ghee and butter from 12% to 5%, and slashing ice cream’s rate from 18% to 5%. These changes are expected to lower prices by 5–13%, easing working capital…
India Stands Firm on Dairy in EU FTA Talks
India and the European Union are holding their 13th round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations in New Delhi, with discussions expected to run through mid-September. The government has made it clear that while it is committed to concluding the deal, it will not compromise on sensitive sectors like dairy and agriculture. Commerce Minister Piyush…
UK Dairy Power Shift: Farmers Gain Leverage
A new Kite Consulting report, Decoding Dairy Disruption, reveals a profound shift reshaping the UK milk value chain. With record spring 2025 milk production coinciding with global supply constraints, farmers are finding themselves in a more advantageous position—but only temporarily. Notably, UK farmgate prices remain, on average, 2.3p per litre below European standards. Meanwhile, major…
Dairy GST Cuts Bring Consumer Savings, Farmer Prosperity
India’s recent GST changes for dairy—cutting rates from 12% to 5% on ghee, cheese, and ice-cream (without chocolate), and zeroing GST on UHT milk, paneer, and chhanna—deliver significant cost relief across value-added segments. Ghee-bearing households may pocket savings of around ₹42 per kilogram, assuming full pass-through. Packaged paneer and UHT milk, now exempt, could become…
India offers cars, dairy exports to Africa in barter push
At the CII India–Africa Business Conclave, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal proposed a strategic trade exchange: India could supply motor vehicles and high-quality milk products to African nations, in return importing diamonds, gold, petroleum, agricultural produce, pulses, and lentils. He highlighted this as a means to bolster India–Africa trade—currently at $82 billion—with ambitions to double it…
FSSAI and its new nutrition ratings
by R N Bhaskar FSSAI (the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India — https://fssai.gov.in/ — is also known as the Food Authority. It comes under the ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilisers (https://fssai.gov.in/flipbook.php?bookid=460&doc2=0#book2/). It was established in September 2008 for “laying down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their…
GST Cut Could Make India a Dairy Export Powerhouse
R.G. Chandramogan, Chairman of Hatsun Agro Product Ltd., has called for a uniform reduction of GST on all dairy products—from the existing 12% to 5%, including ghee and ice cream. He argues this could dramatically boost India’s dairy industry, empowering farmers, increasing domestic demand, and transforming India into a global exporter. India’s annual milk production…