Parliament Question: International partnerships for improvements in animal husbandry and dairying

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 549 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4TH FEBRUARY, 2026 INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING 549 SMT. SANGEETA YADAV: Will the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying be pleased to state: a. whether the Ministry has engaged with foreign governments or industry representatives to explore international partnerships in animal husbandry, dairy production, fisheries and livestock management, if so, the details thereof; b. the reforms undertaken to modernise India’s animal husbandry and dairy legislation, services and sectoral governance; c. whether technological or operational improvements have been considered to strengthen livestock and dairy activities, if so, the details thereof; and d. the steps taken to strengthen digitalisation, sustainable practices and innovation across animal husbandry and dairying? ANSWER MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH) (a) The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has a number of active Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs)/Agreements/Working Groups/Joint Declaration with several countries, including Denmark, U.K, Chile, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Israel etc. to promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and fisheries sector. These collaborative efforts aim to promote overall development of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and fisheries sector including aligning of sanitary measures to facilitate cross border trade, cooperation in animal health, veterinary sanitation, advance technologies, genetic improvement, capacity building, development of deep sea fishing, deep sea fishing vessels development, sustainable fisheries management, knowledge sharing, exchange of experts and joint development initiatives. In addition to above, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India is also implementing the project namely “Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness and Response” approved under the G20 Pandemic Fund. The project is being implemented through three agencies i.e Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). List of MoUs/Agreements/Working Group/JDI signed by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is annexed at Annexure-I(b) & (d) As per Article 246(3) of the Constitution, under the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the States, the Animal Husbandry is the State subject on which the State legislature has exclusive powers to legislate. However, in order to modernize and to strengthen digitization, sustainable practices and innovation in Animal Husbandry and dairy sector, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India has undertaken following steps / initiatives: i. Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM): RGM is implemented for development and conservation of indigenous breeds, genetic upgradation of bovine population and enhancement of milk production and productivity of bovines. ii. National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD): NPDD is implemented with following 2 components: Component ''A'' of NPDD focuses on creating/strengthening of infrastructure for quality milk testing equipment as well as primary chilling facilities for State Cooperative Dairy Federations/ District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union/ Self Help Groups (SHGs)/ Milk Producer Companies/ Farmer Producer Organizations and Component ''B'' of the NPDD scheme "Dairying through Cooperatives” aims to increase sale of milk and dairy products by increasing farmer’s access to organized market, upgrading dairy processing facilities and marketing infrastructure and enhancing the capacity of producer owned institutions. iii. Supporting Dairy Cooperatives & Farmer Producer Organisations engaged in dairy activities (SDCFPO): To assist the State Dairy Cooperative Federations by providing interest subvention (regular 2% and additional 2% on prompt repayment) on soft working capital loan to tide over the crisis on account of severely adverse market conditions or natural calamities. iv. Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF): AHIDF provides interest subvention at the rate of 3% per annum for creation/ strengthening of livestock product processing infrastructure thereby providing greater access for unorganized producer members to organized market. v. National Livestock Mission (NLM): NLM provides for entrepreneurship development and breed improvement in poultry, sheep, goat, piggery and fodder by providing the subsidy to individual, FPOs, SHGs, Section 8 companies for entrepreneurship development and also to the State Government for breed improvement infrastructure. vi. Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP): To provide for prophylactic vaccination against animal diseases, disease surveillance, and strengthening veterinary infrastructure. Mobile Veterinary Units are functional under the scheme providing doorstep delivery of veterinary services. vii. Pashu Aushadhi is added under LHDCP to ensure availability of affordable generic veterinary medicine across the country through Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PM-KSK) and cooperative societies.viii. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Government of India along with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has developed database named as “Bharat Pashudhan” under National Digital Livestock Mission (NDLM). This database has been developed with a unique 12-digit Tag ID allocated to each livestock animal, 36.36 crore animals have been registered on the database. All the stakeholders are connected to the database through an open-source API based architecture. (c) Following technological or operational intervention has been undertaken by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India to strengthen livestock and dairy activities: i. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has established sex sorted semen production facilities and implementing Accelerated Breed Improvement Programme (ABIP) using sex sorted semen with the aim to produce female calves with near 90% accuracy thereby enhancing milch cattle population, breed improvement and farmers' income. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has launched indigenous sex sorted semen technology to deliver sex sorted semen at reasonable rates to farmers including sex sorted semen of indigenous breeds. ii. Implementation of In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Technology: To propagate elite animals of indigenous breeds, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has established 24 IVF laboratories. The technology has important role in genetic upgradation of bovine population in single generation. Further, to deliver technology at reasonable rates to farmers Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has launched indigenous IVF media. iii. Genomic Selection: To select High Genetic Merit (HGM) animals and to accelerate genetic improvement of cattle and buffaloes, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has developed unified genomic chips—Gau Chip for indigenous cattle and Mahish Chip for indigenous buffaloes—specifically designed for initiating genomic selection of high genetic merit animals in the country.ANNEXURE-I ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 549 FOR ANSWER ON 04.02.2026 Sl. Country/Orga Area of Cooperation Date of Signing Validity No. nization 1. Algeria Cooperation on Veterinary Field 25th January, 2001 (Active) 2. Morocco Cooperation on Veterinary 27th February, (Active) Sanitation 2001 3. Chile Cooperation on Animal Health 24th April, 2003 (Active) Sector 4. Mongolia Cooperation on Animal Health 17th May, 2015 (Active) and Dairy 5. Denmark Cooperation on Animal 16th April, 2018 (Active) Husbandry and Dairying 6. United Cooperation on Animal 17th April, 2018 (Active) Kingdom Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries 7. Russia Working Group on Agriculture 29th August, 2018 (Active) 8. European Working Group on Animal 30th May, 2018 (Active) Union Health 9. Brazil Joint Declaration on cooperation 25th January, 2020 (Active) in Animal Husbandry and Dairy Production 10 Bill and Sustainably Improving Livestock 22nd September, (Active) Melinda Sector 2021 Gates Foundation 11 Denmark Joint Declaration of Intent on 2nd May, 2022 (Active) cooperation in Animal Husbandry and Dairying 12 Sri Lanka Joint Declaration of Intent on 21st July, 2023 (Active) cooperation in Animal Husbandry and Dairying 13 UNDP Digitalization of Vaccine Cold 20th May, 2024 (Active) Chain Management and Technical support in Animal HusbandrySl. Country/Orga Area of Cooperation Date of Signing Validity No. nization 14. Norway Cooperation on Fisheries issues 2nd March 2010 (Active) 15. Bangladesh Cooperation in the fields of 22nd June 2024 (Active) fisheries 16. Iceland Cooperation in the field of 10th September (Active) Sustainable Fisheries 2019 Development 17. Vietnam Bilateral cooperation in the fields 06th July 2007 (Active) (DADF) of Fisheries and Aquaculture 18. Maldives Cooperation in the field of 25th July 2025 (Active) marine fisheries. 19. Angola Cooperation in the area of 09th November (Active) fisheries, aquaculture and marine 2025 resources 20. Israel Joint Ministerial Declaration of 14th January 2026 (Active) Intent between the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security of the state of Israel and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying of the Republic of India on Cooperation in the field of Fisheries and Aquaculture *****