AHIDF: Boosting India’s Animal Husbandry Infrastructure and Growth

India’s The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan with Rs. 15,000 crore of funds, aims to enhance dairy, meat processing, and animal feed infrastructure. It focuses on increasing processing capacity, improving market access, providing quality products, combating malnutrition, fostering entrepreneurship, and boosting exports, thereby transforming India’s animal husbandry sector.

The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) was introduced as part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package, with an initial allocation of Rs. 15,000 crore. This initiative aims to stimulate investment in critical areas of animal husbandry and enhance the infrastructure for dairy processing, meat processing, and animal feed production.

Background

Announced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, the AHIDF is designed to incentivize investments from a wide range of stakeholders, including individual entrepreneurs, private companies, MSMEs, Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs), and Section 8 companies. The fund targets the establishment of:

1. Dairy Processing and Value Addition Infrastructure: Facilities to improve milk processing and add value to dairy products.
2. Meat Processing and Value Addition Infrastructure: Infrastructure to enhance meat processing and value addition.
3. Animal Feed Plants: Facilities to produce concentrated animal feed for various livestock.

Objectives

The AHIDF has several key objectives aimed at transforming the animal husbandry sector:

1. Increase Processing Capacity and Product Diversification:
   • Objective: Enhance the capacity for milk and meat processing, leading to a diversified range of products.
   • Impact: Provides unorganized rural milk and meat producers access to organized markets, improving market efficiency and product availability.
2. Improve Price Realization for Producers:
   • Objective: Ensure that producers receive better prices for their milk and meat products.
   • Impact: Increases income for rural producers, promoting economic stability within farming communities.
3. Provide Quality Products for Domestic Consumers:
   • Objective: Supply high-quality milk and meat products to consumers.
   • Impact: Meets domestic demand for nutritious food, contributing to public health and wellness.
4. Address Nutritional Needs and Combat Malnutrition:
   • Objective: Fulfill the protein requirements of the growing population and address malnutrition, particularly in regions with high child malnutrition rates.
   • Impact: Enhances nutritional outcomes and supports public health initiatives.
5. Foster Entrepreneurship and Create Employment:
   • Objective: Encourage entrepreneurial activities and generate job opportunities in the animal husbandry sector.
   • Impact: Boosts economic development and provides employment opportunities in rural and semi-urban areas.
6. Promote Exports and Increase Contribution to Export Sector:
   • Objective: Enhance the export potential of milk and meat products.
   • Impact: Strengthens India’s position in the global market and contributes to the national economy through increased export revenues.
7. Ensure Affordable and Quality Animal Feed:
   • Objective: Provide balanced and affordable feed for cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry.
   • Impact: Improves livestock health and productivity, ensuring sustainable and efficient animal husbandry practices.

The AHIDF represents a significant investment in India’s animal husbandry infrastructure, with broad objectives aimed at improving processing capacities, supporting rural producers, and addressing nutritional needs. By fostering entrepreneurship, enhancing product quality, and promoting exports, the AHIDF is poised to make a substantial impact on the dairy and meat sectors, driving growth and development across the country.