Exports of skim milk powder (SMP) are by far the largest component of India’s exports. SMP exports in April decreased by 19% from the previous month, to 11,002 tonnes. The average price increased slightly to US$3,070/tonne, although that is nearly US$600/tonne lower than the average value of New Zealand SMP exported during the month.
Casein exports were down by about 800 tonnes in April, and volumes of most other export commodities also eased. There was, however, an lift in butter exports, though this only makes up 3% of India’s total dairy exports by value.
During the first four months of 2013 India exported 55,227 tonnes of dairy products, 83% of which was SMP. This is more than ten times the amount exported during the same period in 2012, highlighting just how quickly Indian exports have taken off. The two largest dairy export destinations for India have been Bangladesh and the United States, taking 17% and 15% shares of the export volume respectively. Year to date exports to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have increased by 36% compared to the four months to April 2012, though its market share has dropped from 41% to 6% in this time, reflecting the amount of growth in other markets.
