Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund Scheme: Detail, Features, Benefits

Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund Scheme: Details, Features, Benefits, Significance, Highlights

Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has launched Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) Scheme with a total budget of Rs. 10881 crores. Under this, the first installment of Rs 440 crore was given to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund Scheme (DIDF) was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in September 2017 with an aim to enhance the dairy sector.

The DIDF scheme is managed by NDDB and will be implemented from 2017-18 to 2028-29.

The DIDF scheme will benefit 95,00,000 farmers in about 50,000 villages. In addition to this, it will provide direct and indirect employment to many skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers.

The DIDF scheme will also help in creating additional milk processing capacity of 126 lakh liter per day, milk drying capacity of 210 MT per day, milk chilling capacity of 140 lakh liter per day.

Under the DIDF scheme, milk unions, multi-state milk cooperatives, state dairy federations, milk producer companies, and NDDB subsidiaries can avail loan after meeting eligibility criteria.

Under the DIDF scheme, eligible milk organisations will be provided financial assistance in the form of a loan at 6.5% interest for building an efficient milk procurement system and other dairy processing infrastructure. This loan will be reimbursed over the period of 10 years. It also has a provision of interest subsidy on loans.

Under the DIDF scheme, loan proceeds will be provided for putting in place efficient milk procurement system by setting up of chilling infrastructure and installation of electronic milk adulteration testing equipment. It will be also used for creation, modernisation, and expansion of processing infrastructure and manufacturing faculties for value-added dairy products.