Over 50 lakh dairy farmers receiving Kisan Credit Card benefits: Minister
New Delhi, Aug 11
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh announced on Tuesday that the number of animal husbandry farmers getting access to institutional credit under the Kisan Credit Card scheme more than tripled to 50.42 lakh in 2025-26 from 15.08 lakh in 2021-22.
The Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister further stated that India's annual milk production reached 247.87 million tonnes in 2024-25, comfortably surpassing domestic demand of 243 million tonnes, while total dairy exports reached $407.18 million in FY 2025-26.
To boost long-term yield and genetic resilience, the Ministry is actively expanding flagship schemes such as the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) and the National Livestock Mission (NLM).
The Centre has been implementing Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) since December 2014 for development and conservation of indigenous breeds, genetic upgradation of bovine population and enhancement of milk production and productivity, thereby making milk production more remunerative to farmers.
In order to promote scientific breeding and improve fodder quality in the country, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying is also implementing the scheme of National Livestock Mission since the financial year 2014-15.
The scheme is aimed at 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 concept of NLM Scheme is to develop the entrepreneur in order to create the forward and backward linkage for the produce available at the unorganized sector and to link with the organized sector, the minister said.
Besides, the Centre is extending 100 per cent financial assistance under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) to all the States and UTs for prevention of economically important livestock diseases namely Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Brucellosis, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF) through vaccination.
Further, financial assistance is provided to States and UTs on sharing basis for state-prioritised activities such asvaccination against other livestock diseases, control of emergent and exotic diseases, strengthening of laboratory, disease surveillance, training and awareness, the minister added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting data points. The 247 million tonnes production figure is indeed impressive for India. However, I wonder about the wastage and cold storage infrastructure. Are we doing enough to reduce post-harvest losses in the dairy sector? That's where the real value would be.
Happy to see focus on indigenous breeds through Rashtriya Gokul Mission. Our Gir and Sahiwal cows are treasure troves of genetic resilience. But I wish there was more emphasis on fodder availability - many farmers in my village still struggle with fodder during summer months. Fodder banks should be set up across districts.
The vaccination programme under LHDCP is a much-needed step. I've seen how FMD outbreaks used to devastate entire herds in Bihar. The 100% central funding for disease control is reassuring. Yet, the challenge lies in last-mile delivery - our veterinary centres are still understaffed. Hope the ministry addresses this gap.
It's heartening to see dairy exports crossing $400 million. But let's not forget our small-scale women dairy farmers who contribute significantly to production. Many of them still lack formal land records, making it tough to access KCC. Women's self-help groups need better integration with these schemes. 🙏
Good to see India's dairy sector growing sustainably. The genetic upgradation and disease control measures are smart investments. As someone who watched cooperative models work in Anand, I'd suggest greater focus on value-added products like cheese and yogurt to boost export earnings further.
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