This study was undertaken in Salem district of Tamil Nadu to assess the extent of dairy husbandry services delivered by milk procurement agencies viz., co-operative and a private agency and willingness of respondents to pay for the services. A total of 150 milk producers (75 of co-operative and 75 of private) were randomly selected out of five selected villages to represent five randomly selected blocks of Salem district. Selected milk marketing agencies were procuring milk of the milk producers and also delivering dairy husbandry services such as breeding, therapeutic, supply of inputs, preventive, extension and marketing services to the their member producers as paid or subsidized service. The findings of the study are majority of the respondents of DCS (89.33 %) and private agency (100 %) expressed their willingness to pay for AI, obstetrical, gynecological and therapeutic services delivered at their doorsteps. However, none of the respondents was willing to pay for the preventive and extension services. Both agencies did not concentrate on delivery of these services and depended upon the Department of Animal Husbandry (DAH) for their delivery. Both the milk marketing agencies supply cattle feed, fodder seeds and mineral mixture on payment basis only to their respective members. The willingness of the respondents to pay for breeding and therapeutic services opened the scope for privatization of these services. The results also showed that most of the respondents of private agency were not facing any serious constraints in availing dairy husbandry services. However, the unique role of DAH in providing preventive and extension services to all livestock owners needed more emphasis

Keyword: Dairy husbandry services; DAH; Dairy Co-operatives