CCEA approves Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) Scheme with an outlay of Rs 10,881 crore to boost dairy sector.
It will be managed by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and shall be implemented from 2017-18 to 2028-29. Initially, Rs.8,004 crore loan will be provided by NABARD to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)and National Dairy Development Cooperation (NDDC).

Key Facts

Under this scheme, NCDC and NDDC will be used to provide loan for building an efficient milk procurement system and other processing infrastructure. Loan will be provided for putting in place an 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.
Beneficiaries: Initially, loan under DIDF will be given to 39 profit-making milk unions of 12 states. Other milk cooperatives can apply for loan under DIDF in subsequent years after they become eligible on basis of their net worth and profit levels. Milk unions, multi-state milk cooperatives, state dairy federations, milk producer companies and NDDB subsidiaries can also avail of loan after meeting the eligibility criteria.
Interest Rates: The loans under DIDF will have interest rate of 6.5% per annum with repayment period of 10 years with initial 2 years of moratorium. The state government will be guarantor of loan repayment. If the end user is not able to contribute its share for sanctioned project, state will contribute the same.
Benefits from DIDF: The investment in diary sector will benefit 95,00,000 farmers in about 50,000 villages. It will help for additional milk processing capacity of 126 lakh litre per day, milk chilling capacity of 140 lakh litre per day, milk drying capacity of 210 MT per day. It will also support installation of 28000 Bulk Milk Coolers (BMCs) along with electronic milk adulteration testing equipment and increase value added products manufacturing capacity of 59.78 lakh litre per day of milk equivalent.
Employment Generation Potential: The DIDF scheme will generate direct (40,000 people) and indirect employment opportunities (2 lakh) for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled manpower on account of expansion of milk and milk product marketing operations.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2017