
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh outlines parliament status on milk pricing, NDLM digital tagging, and state-level AHIDF allocations in Lok Sabha disclosures.
In an official parliamentary disclosure reported by India Education Diary, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, confirmed to the Lok Sabha that the Central Government has no proposal under consideration to introduce a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw milk. Addressing ongoing queries from farm unions and lawmakers regarding farmgate price protections, the Minister stated that milk procurement rates across the country will continue to be set dynamically by dairy cooperatives and private processors based on prevailing market conditions, supply-demand balances, and compositional quality (fat and SNF levels).
Despite rejecting statutory pricing floors, the Minister highlighted that the government is providing targeted capital support to strengthen producer margins and reduce midstream inefficiencies. Through several flagship schemes, central assistance is being directed toward expanding raw milk procurement networks, upgrading milk testing and chilling facilities at the village level, and scaling overall processing capacity. By developing modern infrastructure and fostering cooperative growth, the government seeks to improve market access and yield better net returns for dairy producers.
A major driver of this structural strategy is the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), which promotes investments in dairy processing, meat processing, animal feed manufacturing, and value-addition infrastructure. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is conducting regular outreach, stakeholder sessions, and training programs via State Governments, Common Service Centres (CSCs), and industry groups to maximize rural participation. Highlighting state-level impact, the Minister noted that 113 AHIDF projects worth ₹4,700.13 crore have been approved in Maharashtra, supported by ₹123.46 crore released in interest subvention.
On digital animal management, the Ministry provided updates regarding the rollout of the National Digital Livestock Mission (NDLM). Every registered animal under the mission is assigned a unique 12-digit Tag ID, creating a lifetime digital record for vaccinations, breeding cycles, medical treatments, and veterinary care. To safeguard national livestock data against security breaches, the Minister assured Parliament that the NDLM portal employs government-grade protection, including AES-256 encryption and Transport Layer Security (TLS), while clarifying that Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) and banking APIs are not currently integrated into the system.
Ultimately, the Centre’s parliamentary statement underscores a continued policy preference for infrastructure investment and digital governance over direct price controls in the dairy sector. Through integrated programs like the National Livestock Mission (NLM) and the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP), the government aims to enhance breed quality, control animal diseases, expand veterinary services, and create rural employment across India’s dairy heartlands.
Source: India Education Diary / Press Information Bureau (PIB Delhi)
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