“Dairy Farmers Get a Credit Boost as KCC Benefits Reach Over 50 Lakh”

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 (KCC) 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.

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