Lok Sabha Question No. 3828 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-12
Subject: Small and Medium Scale Diary and Fish Farmers
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri  Chhotelal

## 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 12 TH  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:
3. (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 Dairy

Federations/  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) and

Cooperative  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 202324,  (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 1 st position in Inland Capture Fish production, 1 st position in Culture Shrimp Export, 2 nd position in Aquaculture Production, 2 nd position in Overall Fish Production, 4 th position in Overall  Capture  Fish  Production,  6 th position  in  Marine  Capture  Fish  Production  and  6 th 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.