12.52 Lakh Women Milk Producers Benefiting from Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund

The Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) scheme was in effect from January 21, 2017, to January 30, 2024. DIDF is an Infrastructure Development Scheme, aimed to modernize milk processing and chilling plants, as well as enhance value addition. The DIDF scheme thereby, aims to benefit milk producers, providing them with an organized market for their produce and employment opportunities in the project areas. As of June 2024, approximately 12.52 lakh women milk producers have been covered under DIDF out of a total of 42.48 lakh producer members, with significant participation of 30%.

The DIDF scheme has been merged into the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund, and its implementation has been extended for the next two years (2024-2026) with an outlay of Rs 29,110.25 crore. The indirect benefits to milk producers continue, and now women have the opportunity to establish a dairy industry as individual entrepreneurs under AHIDF. As on date AHIDF provided assistance to 6 women as an individual entrepreneur’s, besides the scheme creates an ecosystem for dairy farmers including women to benefits from the other dairy projects (157) financed under AHIDF.