Year end review of Animal Husbandry and Dairy for the year 2025

Details of key initiatives and achievements of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying for the year 2025:

1.         Growth in the sector

Livestock Sector is an important subsector of agriculture in the Indian economy. It grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.77% from 2014-15 to 2023-24. The contribution of livestock in total agriculture and allied sector Gross Value Added (GVA) has increased from 24.38% in 2014-15 to 30.87% in 2023-24 (at Current Prices). Livestock sector contributed 5.49% of total GVA in 2023-24(at Current Prices).

India is ranked first in milk production contributing 25% of global milk production. Milk production is growing at Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.41% over the past 11 years from 146.31 million tonnes during 2014-15 to 247.87 million tonnes during 2024-25. World milk production has grown by 1.12% during 2024 (Est.) in-comparison to the year 2023 (Food Outlook November 2025). The per capita availability of milk is 485 grams per day in India during 2024-25 as against the world average of 328 grams per day in 2024 (est.) (Food Outlook November, 2025).

According to Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) production data (2023), India ranks 2nd in Egg Production and 4^th in meat production in the world. Egg production in the country has increased from 78.48 billion in 2014-15 to 149.11 billion Nos. in 2024-25. It is growing at the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.63% over the past 11 years. The per capita availability of egg is at 106 eggs per annum in 2024-25 as against 62 eggs in 2014-15. Meat production in the country has increased from 6.69 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 10.50 million tonnes in 2024-25. It is growing at the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.61% over the past 11 years.

 

Animal Husbandry and Dairying Schemes

 

2.         Rashtriya Gokul Mission has been initiated by the Government with focus on development and conservation of indigenous breeds and genetic upgradation of bovine population.

 

2.1 Major Launch / inauguration of 2025

• A major "Workshop on Sustainability and Circularity in the Dairy Sector" was held in New Delhi on March 3, 2025, inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Comprehensive Guidelines aimed at sustainability in the dairy sector was released.

 

• Workshop on Breed Development in India was held on 12.07.2025 in Lucknow. The Framework for the Establishment of Breeders Associations has also been launched on same day with an aim to strengthen breed conservation and promote organized breeder networks across the country.

 

• Hon’ble PM Inaugurated of the Regional Center of Excellence (CoE) for Indigenous Breeds at Motihari established with an investment of ₹33.80 Cr. on 15.07.2025.

 

• Indigenously developed sex sorted semen production facility has been inaugurated by Hon’ble PM on 15.9.2025 established at Semen Station, Purnea, Bihar and Sex Sorted Semen is available to the farmers of the Eastern and North Eastern region at reasonable rates.

 

• Stakeholders Consultation meeting under the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) on Social, Welfare and Security Sectors for the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying was held on 22.09.2025 to invite suggestions on the four pillars of the IGoM (legislative, policy, institutional, and process reforms) for the Animal Husbandry sector.

 

• The first IVF Laboratory in the North-Eastern Region, established in Guwahati, Assam under RGM with an investment of ₹28.93 crore was inaugurated by Hon’ble PM on 11.10.2025. This state-of-the-art facility will provide a major impetus to dairy development and breed improvement in the northeastern States.

 

• Surabhi Chayan Shrankhla: DAHD has initiated massive performance recording programme Surabhi Chayan Shrankhla to locate and propagate superior germplasm across the country. Preliminary identification of 5 lakh animals under Surabhi Chayan Shrankhala have been completed.

 

2.2 Awards

National Gopal Ratna Award is one of the highest National Awards in the field of livestock and dairy sector. From 2024 year onwards, the Department has incorporated a Special award for North Eastern Region (NER) States, in all the three categories. 15 awardees were felicitated on the eve of National Milk Day on 26th November 2025 at Delhi.

 

2.3  Major Highlights of 2025:

• Milk Production peaked at 247.87 MMT during the year and increased by 69.4%. in the last 11 years

 

• Massive increase in productivity that is by 27% from 1648.17 kg/ animal/ year during 2013-14 to 2079 kg/ animal/ year in 2024-25 which is highest productivity growth rate in the world.

 

• Value of output of milk is more than Rs. 12.21 lakh Cr during 2023-24 making it largest agricultural commodity in terms of value.

 

• Nationwide Artificial Insemination programme implemented in 623 districts with less than 50% AI coverage and 126 districts out of 623 districts brought above 50% AI coverage. With this initiative AI coverage in the country increased from 25% of the breedable bovine females to 40% of the breedable bovine females.
• To accelerate genetic improvement of cattle and buffaloes, the Department, has developed unified genomic chips - Gau Chip for indigenous cattle and Mahish Chip for buffaloes, specifically designed for initiating genomic selection in the country. So far 75,000 animals genotyped for creating referral population.

 

3.         The Department is implementing Central Sector Scheme of National Programme for Dairy Development with the aim to enhance quality of milk and milk products, milk procurement, processing, value addition and marketing. Under NPDD (Comp A), 253 projects in 28 States and 3 Union Territory have been approved with the total cost of Rs.4110.98 crore (Central Share Rs.2979.56 crore) from 2014-15 to 2025-26 (till 30.11.2025). A total sum of Rs.2410.99 crore has been released for implementation of these projects. Major achievement made under NPDD (Comp A) during FY 2025-26: (i) Project Sanctioning Committee (PSC) in its meeting dated 16.06.2025 has approved (in-principle) organization of new 21902 dairy cooperative societies under NPDD scheme during current FY and as per the State proposal/eligibility, project of 8836 Dairy Cooperative societies has been approved in 17 States with total outlay of Rs.142.65 crore (Central share Rs.75.86 crore) and out of this central share Rs.37.93 crore has been released to States for implementation. (ii) PSC in its meeting has approved the projects of 8 States with total outlay of Rs.290.95 crore (Rs.185.36 crore.) (iii) During 2025-26, BMC of capacity 467 TLPD & 2330 Electronic Milk Adulteration Testing Machine installed, 16 dairy plant level laboratories strengthened & 2526 Dairy Cooperative Society (DCS)/Milk Pooling Point (MPP) operationalized. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is focusses on increasing sales of milk and dairy products by increasing farmers' access to organised market, upgrading dairy processing facilities and marketing infrastructure and enhancing the capacity of producers owned institutions.  So far 42 projects have been approved with total outlay of Rs 1617.15 Cr.  As on date, under Comp B of NPDD, 6516 New DCS created, 6480 DCS strengthened and 9973 AMCU/ DPMCU have been established. Furthermore, infrastructure for processing of 243 LLPD Value Added Products have been established. The scheme Supporting Dairy Cooperatives and Farmer Producer Organizations (SDCFPO) provides interest subvention of 2% p.a. on working capital loans availed by the eligible Participating Agencies (PAs) from banks and financial institutions. As on 31.10.2025, Interest Subvention amount of Rs 680.68 crore ( Rs 358.29 Cr as regular interest subvention and Rs 322.39 Cr as additional interest subvention amount)  were provided against working capital loan amount of Rs 80,048 Cr for 64 milk unions across the country.

 

4.         National Livestock Mission (NLM): The focus of the scheme is towards employment generation, entrepreneurship development; increase in per animal productivity and thus targeting increased production of meat, goat milk, egg and wool. From 21.02.2024 onwards, the scheme has been amended to incorporate new activities like for development of Camel, horse, donkey, mule. For the first time these animals have been taken for establishment of breeder farms through incentivization of Individual, Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), Joint Liability Groups (JLGs), Farmer Cooperative Organisations (FCOs) and Section 8 companies.  In order to meet the requirement of green fodder, activities for fodder production by using Common Pasture Land, degraded forest land, waste land and also in the forest land. This will help in increasing of the area for fodder cultivation. The Central Government has also streamlined the Livestock Insurance programme. The share of premium contribution by a beneficiary has been reduced to 15% which was earlier ranged between 20% to 50% in various beneficiaries and category of states. Now the Beneficiary get their animals insured by contributing only 15% of the premium amount and remaining premium share will be contributed by the Central Government and State Government on 60:40 and 90:10 and 100% basis as per the Central and State share. Also, the number of animals to be insured by one beneficiary has also been increased from 5 cattle unit (1 cattle unit = one large animal or 10 small animal) to 10 cattle unit. Now one beneficiary can insure 100 small animals and 10 large animals. However, for pig and rabbit, the number of animals will be 5 cattle unit. Presently, the insurance percentage is only 0.98%, the Government has taken initiatives to cover 5% of the total animal population in the country.

Financial progress: ₹240 Crore has been allocated during the year 2025-26 out of which 160 Crore has been utilized till date. Till date, 3843 applications have been approved by DAHD and Rs 474.06 Crore has been released as subsidy to 2014 beneficiaries.

5.         Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF):  The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) is a scheme aimed at encouraging investments by individual entrepreneurs, private companies, MSMEs, Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs), cooperatives, and Section 8 companies in various sectors of animal husbandry. These include dairy and meat processing with value addition, animal feed plants, breed improvement technologies and multiplication farms, veterinary vaccine and drug production facilities, animal waste-to-wealth management, and primary wool processing infrastructure. The approval was given during FY 2020-21. Furthermore, the Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) has been subsumed into AHIDF in February 2024, bringing the revised outlay to ₹29,610 crore. Key features of this flagship scheme include a 3% interest subvention with loan upto 90 %, no cap on credit amount for beneficiaries, and an interest rate of EBLR + 200 basis points for MSMEs. As of 10th December 2025, a total of 465 projects have been approved under the scheme, with an aggregate project cost of ₹21,562.85 crore and interest subvention amounting to ₹669.59 crore.

6.         Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme(LHDCP) addresses major livestock diseases and strengthens veterinary healthcare infrastructure to improve livestock productivity and enhance farmers’ incomes. Key achievements are as under:

6.1       National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP): Launched in 2019, NADCP is the world’s largest initiative to eliminate FMD and Brucellosis by 2030. Over 125.75 crore FMD vaccinations have been administered, benefiting 26.27 crore farmers. Vaccination drives for PPR and CSF have also achieved strong coverage. In 2025, FMD vaccination was extended to pastoral sheep and goats.

6.2       Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs): 4,019 MVUs are operational across 29 States/UTs, delivering doorstep veterinary services through free toll number 1962. They have benefited 119.77 lakh farmers and treated 245.05 lakh animals, significantly boosting farmer confidence and supporting livestock sector as a viable enterprise.

6.3       Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases (ASCAD): Provides financial support to States for controlling priority diseases, strengthening laboratories, and conducting training and awareness activities, based on State needs and priorities.

 

7.         Expanding Veterinary Education Capacity: To increase the supply of qualified veterinarians, new colleges are permitted under the IVC Act, 1984. The number of veterinary colleges has risen from 36 in 2014 to 84 in 2025. Admissions are based on NEET scores, supported by an online counselling system.

 

8.         Livestock Census & Integrated Sample Survey Scheme:

8.1       Integrated Sample Survey: To bring out estimates of Major Livestock Products (MLP) such as Milk, Egg, Meat and Wool. The estimates are published in Annual Publication of Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics (BAHS) of the Department. Recently, the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics (BAHS)-2025 for the period 2024-25 is published.

 

8.2       Livestock Census: The 21^st Livestock Census was launched by Hon’ble Minister for Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying on 25^th October, 2024. Field operation of 21^st Livestock Census data on Livestock & Poultry has been completed and currently data validation and report finalization is in process.

 

9.         The post import quarantine period of live horses has been reduced to 21 days to facilitate the equestrian activities in the country. Further, a list of forty-four Indian poultry establishments, which are free from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, has been notified with World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The notification in WOAH facilitates exports of poultry products.

 

10.       Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) For Dairy Farmers of Milk Cooperatives and Milk Producer Companies: As on 21.11.2025, more than 45.60 lakh fresh KCCs were sanctioned for AHD Farmers.

Source : Dairynews7x7 Jan 9th 2026 PIB