Parliament Question: Small and Medium Scale Diary and Fish Farmers

O.I.H. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3828 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12TH AUGUST, 2025 SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE DIARY AND FISH FARMERS 3828. SHRI CHHOTELAL: 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 the small and medium scale dairy farmers and fish farmers are facing difficulties due to lack of appropriate price in the market and basic amenities; and (b) if so, the details of the steps being taken by the Government to encourage the growth of dairy and fisheries sector along with empowering the farmers economically? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (PROF. S. P. SINGH BAGHEL) (a) and (b) The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Government of India does not regulate the procurement and sale prices of milk. These are determined by cooperative and private dairies based on factors such as cost of production, stocks of dairy commodities like white butter, skimmed milk powder and prevailing domestic and international market conditions. However, DAHD is implementing the following schemes across the country to complement and supplement the efforts made by the State and Union Territories to encourage the growth of dairy sector along with empowering the farmers economically. 1. 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. 2. National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD): NPDD is implemented with following 2 components: (i) Component ''A'' of NPDD focuses on creating/strengthening of infrastructure for quality milk testing equipment as well as primary chilling facilities for State Cooperative DairyFederations/ District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union/ Self Help Groups (SHGs)/ Milk Producer Companies/ Farmer Producer Organizations. (ii) 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. As of March 2025, there are 243 Milk unions in the country and these milk Unions are procuring about 620 lakh Kg of Milk per day through a network of about 2.11 Lakh organised dairy cooperative societies in India. About 1.7 Crore farmers are associated with the dairy cooperative network in the country, most of whom are small and marginal farmers and landless labours. The dairy cooperatives in the country have created infrastructure for milk procurement at the village level. The village dairy cooperative societies have developed milk procurement mechanism wherein prices based on the quality of milk (Fat/SNF) are paid to the farmers. Expanding the coverage of dairy cooperatives by setting up new dairy cooperative societies at the village level helps improve farmers' access to organized markets and thus contributes to economic wellbeing of the farmer member. 3. 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) with respect to soft working capital loan to tide over the crisis on account severely adverse market conditions or natural calamities. 4. Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF): AHIDF provides interest subvention at the rate 3% per annum for creation/ strengthening of livestock product processing and diversification infrastructure thereby providing greater access for unorganized producer members to organized market. 5. Government of India has extended Kisan Credit Card (KCC) facility to Animal Husbandry and Fisheries farmers for their working capital requirements wherein farmers either individual or joint borrower, Joint Liability Groups or Self Help Groups including tenant farmers having owned/rented/leased sheds are eligible for getting incentivisation under the scheme 6. National Livestock Mission (NLM): to bring sharp focus on entrepreneurship development and breed improvement in poultry, sheep, goat, piggery and fodder by providing the incentivization to the individual, FPOs, SHGs, Section 8 companies for entrepreneurship development and also to the State Government for breed improvement infrastructure. 7. Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP): to provide for prophylactic vaccination against animal diseases, capacity building of veterinary services, disease surveillance, and strengthening veterinary infrastructure. Also, a new component of Pashu Aushadhi is added under the scheme ensure availability of affordable generic veterinary medicine across the country through Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PM-KSK) andCooperative Societies. This will create an ecosystem for Generic Medicine which will be affordable and of good quality. These schemes are helping in improving milk production and productivity of bovines, expanding network of dairy cooperatives, strengthening of dairy infrastructure, working capital requirement, enhancing availability of feed and fodder and providing animal health services. These interventions help to reduce the cost of milk production and also help to enhance income of small and medium scale dairy farmers. As informed by Department of Fisheries, India’s fisheries sector is experiencing significant growth, achieving a record production of 184.02 lakh tons in 2023-24 and contributing approximately 8% to global fish production. During last 10 years, the Government of India has stepped up investments in fisheries and aquaculture sector with a cumulative investment to the tune of Rs. 38,572 crore through various programmes and initiatives namely Blue Revolution Scheme, Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PMMKSSY). The concerted efforts of the Governments through the reforms, policies and schemes, and efforts of fishers, fish farmers and other stakeholders have contributed significantly in overall growth of the fisheries and aquaculture especially, (i) increase of annual fish production from 141.64 lakh tonne in 2019-20 to 184.02 lakh tonne in 2023-24, (ii) increase in fisheries export from Rs.46,662.85 crore in 2019-20 to Rs.60,524.89 crore in 2023- 24, (iii) enhanced per capita fish consumption from 5-6 kg to 12-13 kg and (iv) enhance aquaculture productivity from 3 tonne/hectare to 4.7 tonne per hectare. The country has now attained 1st position in Inland Capture Fish production, 1st position in Culture Shrimp Export, 2nd position in Aquaculture Production, 2nd position in Overall Fish Production, 4th position in Overall Capture Fish Production, 6th position in Marine Capture Fish Production and 6th position in Exports of fisheries products. To ensure fair and predictable income for fishermen, PMMSY has supported 27189 units of fish transportation facilities (refrigerated vehicles, insulated vehicles, two wheelers/ three wheelers), 21 state-of-the art wholesale fish markets, 202 fish retail markets, 6694 fish kiosks and 5 E-platforms for e-trading and e-marketing of fish and fisheries products in all the States/UTs across the country with a total outlay of Rs. 1654.51 crore. To provide real-time and accurate price information to fishers and fish farmers and to help them to negotiate better price, the Department through the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) has launched the ‘Fish Market Price Information System’ (FMPIS) during 2018-19 to capture and disseminate fish market prices of commercially important marine and inland fishes from 111 wholesale and retail fish markets in 29 States/UTs. Further, the Department of Fisheries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) with an objective to provide a digital platform and empower all stakeholders including traditional fishermen, fish farmers’ producer organizations and entrepreneurs in the fisheries sector to buy and sell their products through e-marketplace. ***