Port Blair, Aug 18: The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Government of India, has been implementing a Central Sector Scheme, the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package. The objective of the scheme is:
• To help increasing of milk and meat processing capacity and product diversification thereby providing greater access for unorganized rural milk and meat producers to organized milk and meat market.
• To make available increased price realization for the producer.
• To make available quality milk and meat products for the domestic consumer.
• To fulfill the objective of protein enriched quality food requirement of the growing population of the country and prevent malnutrition in one of the highest malnourished children population in the world.
• Develop entrepreneurship and generate employment.
• To promote exports and increase the export contribution in the milk and meat sector.
• To make available quality concentrated animals feed to the cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, pig and poultry to provide balanced ration at affordable prices.
The Government of India has recently approved the continuation of the AHIDF scheme as a component under Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF) subsuming Dairy Processing Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF). The revised outlay of AHIDF is Rs. 29110.25 crores up to FY 2025-2026 till 31.03.2026.
The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) has been approved for incentivizing investments by individual entrepreneurs, private companies, MSME, Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs), Section 8 companies and Dairy Cooperatives to establish:
• Dairy processing and value addition infrastructure.
• Meat processing and value addition infrastructure.
• Animal Feed Plant.
• Breed Improvement technology and Breed Multiplication Farm.
• Setting up of Veterinary Vaccine and Drugs Manufacturing facilities.
• Animal Waste to Wealth Management (Agri Waste Management).
In the present scheme, Dairy Cooperatives can also avail benefits of Credit Guarantee and interest subvention of 3% under AHIDF for 8 years. The Dairy Cooperatives will also get Credit Guarantee facility from the scheduled Banks in addition to NABARD and NCDC.
Applicants including the Dairy Cooperatives can now submit their proposals through the portal www.ahidf.udyamimitra.in for availing loan and interest subvention benefits under AHIDF. As the scheme is credit linked, credit can be availed from the scheduled banks, NCDC, NABARD, NDDB which are already on-boarded and have access of the portal for smoother sanctioning process. All other related documents and current status of applications are available to the beneficiaries on www.ahidf.udyamimitra.in or they can visit the nearest Veterinary Institution for further information.
The Department of AH&VS would also encourage the local farmers to form Cooperative Livestock Societies and avail the benefits of the scheme.
