Govt modifies National Livestock Mission, includes various activities

The government on Wednesday modified the National Livestock Mission by including various activities and providing 50 per cent capital subsidy to individuals and organisations for establishing horse, donkey, mule, and camel entrepreneurship.

The Centre will provide Rs 10 crore for the establishment of semen station and nucleus breeding farm for horse, donkey, and camel under the modified National Livestock Mission.

The Union Cabinet approved inclusion of additional activities in National Livestock Mission (NLM), Union Minister Anurag Thakur told reporters here.

Under the modified NLM, establishment of entrepreneurship for horse, donkey, mule, and camel with 50 per cent capital subsidy up to Rs 50 lakh will be provided to the individuals, farmer producer organisations, self-help groups, and Section 8 companies.

Also, the state government will be assisted for breed conservation of horses, donkeys, and camels.

Also, the state government will be assisted for fodder cultivation in non-forest land, waste land/range land/non-arable as well as forest land "non-forest wasteland/ rangeland/ non-arable land" and "fodder production from forest land" as well as in the degraded forest land, under the modified scheme.

Further, the livestock insurance programme has been simplified.

The beneficiary share of the premium for the farmers has been reduced.

The number of animals to be insured has also been increased to 10 cattle unit instead of 5 cattle unit of sheep and goats.

This will facilitate the livestock farmers to get their animals insured by paying a minimum amount, said an official release.