Govt modifies National Livestock Mission

The government on Wednesday modified the National Livestock Mission by including various activities and providing a 50 percent capital subsidy to individuals and organizations for establishing horse, donkey, mule, and camel entrepreneurship. The Centre will provide Rs 10 crore for establishing a semen station and nucleus breeding farm for horses, donkeys, and camels under the modified National Livestock Mission.

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

Under the modified NLM, the establishment of entrepreneurship for horses, donkeys, mules, and camels with a 50 per cent capital subsidy up to Rs 50 lakh will be provided to individuals, farmer producer organizations, self-help groups, and Section 8 companies.

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

Also, the state government will be assisted with fodder cultivation in non-forest land, wasteland/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 program 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 units instead of 5 cattle units of sheep and goats. ThisAccording to an official release, thisl facilitate the livestock farmers to get their animals insured by paying a minimum amount, acease.