Parshottam Rupala, Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying told the Rajya Sabha that under the realigned National Livestock Mission of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Government of India, which started in 2021 training on all aspects of Animal Husbandry Practices including that of animal feed production has been included.
States are motivated to take up the training component that includes providing guidance as well as training required for packaged animal feed producers.
Training & Subsidies for Farmers
Besides this, state Animal Husbandry Departments, National Dairy Development Board, Veterinary Universities & Indian Council of Agricultural Research institutes are providing guidance and training to farmers & entrepreneurs on regular basis to manufacture packaged animal feed products like pallets, complete feed, area specific mineral mixture etc.
Central Government, under the National Livestock Mission Scheme, provides 50 percent capital subsidy (max up to Rs.50 Lac) to the beneficiaries for setting up of feed/fodder value addition unit for Hay/Silage/ Total Mixed Ration (TMR) TM preparation, Fodder block making or storage facilities for fodder.
In addition, Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), a flagship scheme of DAHD under which Eligible Entitles (EE) i.e. individual entrepreneurs, private firms, FPOs, MSMEs & Section 8 companies are encouraged for setting up Animal Feed manufacturing plants and strengthening of existing units/ plant in the categories like Establishment of Mini, Medium and Large Animal Feed Plants, Total Mixed Ration block Making Unit, by pass protein unit, Enrich silage making unit, Feed supplement/Feed Premixes, Mineral Mixture Plant and Animal Feed Testing Laboratory.
The Eligible Entitles can avail loan up to 90 percent of the project cost for establishment of the feed manufacturing unit. Under the scheme, the Government offer 3.0 percent interest subvention with 2 years moratorium.
To check the quality of packaged feed and cattle food, a compliance with BIS standards is practiced. FSSAI on 6 October 2021 has issued directive specifying that all commercial feeds intended for meat and milk producing animals have to comply with the BIS specifications & shall carry the BIS mark which came into effect from January 1, 2022.
This BIS specification tells about the requirement and the methods of sampling and test for compounded cattle feeds for buffaloes, cattle & working bullocks.
States like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh & Odisha have Livestock Feed acts under which law enforcement is done to guarantee the quality of packaged animal feed & the expiry date printed on the packets.
Source – PIB (Govt. of India)
