Centre okays 95 animal feed plants under AHIDF

New Delhi The central government has so far approved 95 projects of animal feed plants under the scheme of Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF). The cumulative cost of these projects is Rs1,602.71 crore and the cumulative term loan is Rs1,098.53 crore.

Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala provided this information in a written reply in Lok Sabha. The AHIDF has a provision of setting up and upgrading of animal feed plants.

The entities eligible to receive such funding are farmer producer organizations (FPOs), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), individual entrepreneurs, private companies and Section 8 companies.

Under the scheme, eligible entities get the benefit of three per cent interest subvention over a period of eight years for setting up and upgrading projects falling under any of the six approved categories. MSMEs are also eligible for availing credit guarantee coverage to the tune of 25 per cent of the total borrowings. The scheduled banks provide credit up to 90 per cent to the eligible entities for the establishment of projects in any of the eligible categories under the scheme, an official press release said.

The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, began implementing the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) across the country in February 2014. The objective was to create and strengthen infrastructure for production of quality milk and its procurement, processing, and marketing.

The programme was restructured and realigned in July 2021. The restructured NPDD, to be implemented till 2025-26, has a total outlay of Rs1,790 crore. The restructured scheme has two components. Component A is about creating and strengthening infrastructure for quality milk testing equipment and primary chilling facilities.

Component B provides financial assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency to create the necessary dairy infrastructure, provide market linkages for the produce in villages, and strengthen capacity building of stake-holding institutions from the village to the state level.