**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Unstarred Question No. 242 in Lok Sabha, to be answered on December 2nd, 2025, regarding the Government's awareness and actions concerning the potential of dung from dairy animals for energy, fertilizer, and income generation. It details government initiatives and schemes implemented to promote manure management, biogas production, composting, and dung-based value addition, emphasizing benefits for small and marginal dairy farmers. The response is provided by the Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Dung's Potential:** Dung-based biogas has significant potential for clean energy production in rural areas.
* **Studies and Assessments:**
* Studies show dung-based biogas slurry and slurry-based fertilizers enhance soil organic carbon, improve soil structure, increase microbial activity, and improve water retention capacity.
* Studies demonstrate that using slurry-based value-added organic fertilizers can reduce chemical fertilizer usage by up to 25% and improve crop yields.
* **Government Initiatives:**
* The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), under the guidance of DAHD, is implementing nationwide manure management projects through dairy cooperatives.
* These initiatives promote sustainable waste utilization, energy generation, and nutrient recycling.
* **Manure Value Chain Models:**
* NDDB has developed integrated Manure Value Chain Models at both household and commercial scales.
* **Zakariyapura Model:** Decentralized household-level biogas units.
* **Varanasi Model:** Centralized large-scale biogas plant for captive use in dairy plants.
* **Banas Model:** Centralized Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant converting dung-based biogas into CBG.
* **Benefits for Dairy Farmers:** These models provide additional income to small and marginal dairy farmers while converting bio-slurry into organic manure to enhance soil fertility and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers.
* **Implementation and Scaling:**
* 35,000 decentralized biogas plants (2 m³ each) have been installed in smallholder backyards.
* Large centralized biogas plants (2,000–4,000 m³) at district milk unions produce CBG/biogas for mobility and dairy energy needs.
* Replication is underway with additional plants, and the models are being extended to other locations.
* **Partnerships:** NDDB has signed MoUs with dairy cooperatives across 15 states, supported by partnerships with Suzuki R&D, NABARD, Sustain Plus Energy Foundation, and NDDB Mrida Ltd. for nationwide expansion.
**Impact Analysis**
**Dairy Farmers**
* **Impact:** Increased income generation through manure value chains, reduced dependence on chemical fertilizers, and enhanced soil fertility.
* **Action Required:** Participate in manure management programs and adopt biogas production technologies.
**Rural Households**
* **Impact:** Access to clean cooking energy and potential participation in decentralized biogas production.
* **Action Required:** Consider adopting household-level biogas units, supported by government initiatives.
**Dairy Cooperatives**
* **Impact:** Implementing manure management projects and facilitating biogas production.
* **Action Required:** Partner with NDDB and other organizations to expand sustainable manure management and dung-based value addition efforts.
**Environment**
* **Impact:** Mitigation of CO2e emissions, improved soil health, and reduced reliance on chemical fertilizers.
* **Action Required:** Support sustainable manure management and dung-based value addition efforts.
Key Entities Referenced
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB): Central agency implementing manure management projects and developing value chain models for dung utilization.
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying: The ministry responsible for policies and programs related to fisheries, animal husbandry, and dairying, including manure management.
O.I.H
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 242
TO BE ANSWERED ON 2ND DECEMBER 2025
DUNG OF DAIRY ANIMALS
242. DR. BHOLA SINGH:
Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
मत्स्यपालन, पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware that milk is considered a key resource for dairy farmers
and given policy priority whereas dung, which has immense potential for energy,
fertilizer and income generation, often does not given adequate attention;
(b) whether the Government has made any assessment of the potential of dung-based bio-gas
to meet the domestic fuel needs of rural households and the country's transportation fuel
demand;
(c) whether the Government has made any evaluation of the potential for widespread use of
dung to enhance soil fertility and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers; and
(d) if so, the major initiatives taken and schemes being implemented by the Government to
promote manure management, bio-gas production, composting and dung-based value
addition for the benefit of small and marginal dairy farmers?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER FOR FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
(SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)
(a) to (d) Dung-based biogas has great potential for clean energy production in rural areas.
Several studies and field-based assessments have established that the application of Dung based
biogas slurry and slurry-based fertilizers enhances soil organic carbon, improves soil structure,
increases microbial activity and improves water retention capacity. National Dairy
Development Board (NDDB), had the studies conducted through Anand Agricultural
University/Banaras Hindu University which demonstrated that the use of slurry-based value-
added organic fertilizers can lead to a reduction of chemical fertilizer usage by up to 25%, while
also resulting in improved crop yields. National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), under the
guidance of DAHD, is implementing manure management projects nationwide through dairy
cooperatives. These initiatives promote sustainable waste utilization, energy generation, and
nutrient recycling. NDDB has developed integrated Manure Value Chain Models at both
household and commercial scales, such as:
I. Zakariyapura Model – Decentralised household-level biogas units.
II. Varanasi Model – Centralized large-scale biogas plant for captive use in dairy plants.
III. Banas Model – Centralized Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant converting dung-based
biogas into CBG.
These models emphasize end-to-end manure value chains, providing additional income to
small and marginal dairy farmers while converting bio-slurry into organic manure to enhance
soil fertility and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers. To institutionalize and scale these
efforts, 35,000 decentralized biogas plants (2 m³ each) have been installed in smallholder
backyards, generating clean cooking energy, organic fertilizer, and mitigating about 7 tonnes
CO₂e per plant per year. In addition, large centralized biogas plants (2,000–4,000 m³) at districtmilk unions such as Banaskantha and Varanasi produce CBG/biogas for mobility and dairy
energy needs, mitigating 2,400–3,000 tonnes CO₂e per plant per year.Replication is underway
with additional plants in Banaskantha, and the models are being extended to Amul, Sabar,
Dudhsagar (Gujarat), and Barauni (Bihar), to further scale these efforts, NDDB has signed 25
MoUs with dairy cooperatives across 15 states, supported by partnerships with Suzuki R&D,
NABARD, Sustain Plus Energy Foundation, and NDDB Mrida Ltd. for nationwide expansion
of sustainable manure management and dung-based value addition.
****