The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (AH&D) is one of the Departments of the newly created Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying vide Cabinet Secretariat's Notification No.1/21/7/2019-Cab dated 17.06.2019 published in eGazette S.O.No.1972(E). The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (AH&D) renamed as Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DADF) was one of the Departments in the Ministry of Agriculture and came into existence w.e.f. 1st February 1991, by converting two divisions of the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation namely Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development into a separate Department. The Fisheries Division of the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation and a part of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries were later transferred to this Department w.e.f. 10th October 1997. The Department is located at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi and parts of some Divisions of the Department are functioning from Chanderlok Building, Janpath, New Delhi.
The Department is responsible for matters relating to livestock production, preservation, protection from diseases and improvement of stocks and dairy development, and also for matters relating to Delhi Milk Scheme (DMS) and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
The Department advises State Governments/Union Territories in formulation of policies and programme in the field of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development. The main thrust areas are:
- Development of requisite infrastructure in States/ UTs for improving animal productivity.
- Preservation and protection of livestock through provision of health care.
- Strengthening of central livestock farms (Cattle, Sheep and Poultry) for development of superior germplasm for distribution to states.
