Lok Sabha Question No. 5216 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Income of Small Dairy and Fish Farmers in Assam
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Md. Rakibul Hussain

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 5216 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 th  MARCH 2026

## INCOME OF SMALL DAIRY AND FISH FARMERS IN ASSAM

5216. MD. RAKIBUL HUSSAIN:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

## मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री

be pleased to State:

- (a) whether the Government has initiated any measures to enhance the income of small dairy and fish farmers in Assam;
- (b)  the  average  annual  income  of  such  farmers  as  per  the  latest  survey  conducted  by  the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether any credit linkage or insurance coverage is available to such farmers; and
- (d)  the  details  of  schemes  extended to  ensure income stability and risk mitigation for such farmers?

## THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

## ANSWER (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

- (a) to (d) In order to complement the efforts made by the State and Union Territories to enhance the  income  of  small  dairy  farmers,  the  Department  of  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying, Government of India is implementing following programmes in the country  including Assam:
1. Rashtriya Gokul Mission is implemented with focus on development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds, genetic upgradation of bovine population and enhancement of milk production and productivity of bovines thereby making  milk  production  more remunerative to the farmers. Rashtriya Gokul Mission is leading to increase in population of high  yielding  animals  of  bovines  including  indigenous  breeds  of  cattle  and  buffalo.  Under Nationwide Artificial Insemination Programme 23.09 lakh artificial insemination performed covering 17.64 lakh animals and 14.84 lakh dairy farmers in Assam.
2. National Livestock Mission (NLM) aims to create employment generation, entrepreneurship development, increase in per-animal productivity and thus targeting increased production  of  meat,  goat  milk,  egg  and  wool  under  the  umbrella  scheme  Development Programme.  The scheme envisages following three submissions: (i) Sub-Mission on Breed Development of Livestock and Poultry; (ii) Sub-Mission on Feed and Fodder Development and (iii) Sub-Mission on Innovation and Extension.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India is implementing Livestock Insurance under National Livestock Mission to provide protection mechanism to the farmers  &  livestock  owners  against  any  eventual  loss  of  their  animals  due  to  death.  The farmer's share of premium payment has been reduced to 15% from 20 -50% depending upon the caste and region of settlement. The rest 85% will be shared by the Central and State share in the ratio 60:40 for states other than Himalayan and North-eastern region and 90:10 for the Himalayan and North-Eastern region. During the last four years (2021-22 to 2024-25) and current financial years (2025-26)  of the implementation  of  the  Livestock Insurance, Government of India has released a sum of Rs.158.79 crore for coverage of 68.64  lakh animals including Assam.

3. Animal  Husbandry  Infrastructure  Development  Fund  (AHIDF)  is  implemented  to facilitate  incentivisation  of  investments  to  establish  (i)  Dairy  processing  and  product diversification infrastructure, (ii) Meat processing and product diversification infrastructure and (iii)  Animal Feed Plant (iv) Breed Improvement Technology and Breed Multiplication Farm, (v) Veterinary Vaccine and Drugs production facilities, (vi) Animal waste to wealth management  (Agri-waste  Management).  Keeping  in  view  of  the  success  of  AHIDF,  the erstwhile  Dairy  Processing  Infrastructure  Development  Fund  has  been  subsumed  with  the AHIDF on 01.02.2024. Now total size of the fund is Rs 29110 cr.  The scheme has following main features: (i) Interest Subvention of 3% payable up to 8 years with no ceiling on credit; (ii)  Loan  up  to  90%  from  lending  organizations  (All  scheduled  Banks/  NCDC/  NDDB/ NABARD/SIDBI)  and  (iii)  Credit  Guarantee  Fund  (Rs.  750  Cr.)  for  MSME  and  Dairy Cooperatives up to 25% of credit facility. Till date 13 projects have been approved for Assam with the project cost of Rs 285.86 crore
4. National Programme for Dairy Development (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  (SH Gs)/  Milk Producer Companies/ Farmer Producer Organizations.

Under NPDD scheme, 6 projects have been approved in Assam with the total project cost of Rs. 11932.16 lakh including Central share of Rs. 9820.87 lakh and out of this an amount of Rs.2689.78 lakh has been released till 19.03.2026. The benefit of the scheme is accruing to all the dairy farmers of the State.

- (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.
5. 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 of severely adverse market conditions or natural calamities.
6. Kisan Credit Card (KCC) provide working capital loan to Animal Husbandry and Dairy farmers. Interest Subvention of 1.5% to the banks and Prompt Repayment Incentive of 3% to

the  farmers  are  provided  up  to  Rs.2  lakh  on  working  capital  requirement  towards  animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries activities against KCC cards under the 'Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)' of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. This helps dairy farmers to invest in better-quality feed, veterinary care, and advanced breeding techniques. As on 31.03.2025, in Assam 13,448 KCC accounts for Animal Husbandry are operational with an outstanding amount of Rs 193.24 Cr.

7. Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) is implemented 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 medicines across the country through Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PM-KSK) and Cooperative Societies. This will create an ecosystem for Generic Medicines which will be affordable and of good quality. So far, in Assam 2.66 crore vaccinations performed against FMD  benefitting  23.96  lakh  dairy  farmers  and  3.48  lakh  vaccinations  performed  against Brucellosis benefitting 2.39 lakh dairy farmers.

The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, has been implementing various schemes and programmes -namely the (i) Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), (ii) the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada  Yojana (PMMSY), and (iii) the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Samridhi Sah Yojana (PM-MKSSY) for the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture in the State, including enhancement of the income of fishers and fish farmers.

The Department of Fisheries, Government of India during the last five financial years and current financial year (2020-21 to 2025-26) has accorded approvals to the fisheries and aquaculture development proposals at a total cost of Rs.543.22 crore with the Central share of Rs. 299.88 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

The scheme inter-alia provides social security measure to fishers, fish workers through group accidental insurance scheme (GAIS) coverage to both marine and inland fishers and allied fish workers wherein the entire insurance premium amount is shared between the Centre &State in the ratio of 60:40 basis for General States, 90:10 for the Himalayan & North Eastern States and in the case of the Union Territories, the entire premium amount is paid by the Centre. The insurance coverage provided under the PMMSY includes (i) Rs.5,00,000/- against death or  permanent  total  disability,  (ii)  Rs.2,50,000/-  for  permanent  partial  disability  and  (iii) hospitalization expenses in the event of accident for a sum of Rs. 25,000/-.   During the last four years (2021-22 to 2024-25) and current financial years (2025-26) of the implementation of the PMMSY, Central Government has released a sum of Rs.149.07 crores for insurance coverage  of  167.33  lakh  fishers  with  an  average  of  33.46  lakh  fishers  annually  including Assam.

As per the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households in the rural areas of the country conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) during 77 round (January 2019- December 2019) with reference  to  the  agricultural  year  July  2018-  June  2019,  the  average  monthly  income  per agricultural household in the Assam is Rs. 10,675. The income includes income from wages, income from leasing out of land, net receipt from crop production, net receipt from farming of animals and net receipt from non-farm business.