Webinar Promotes Convergence of Animal Husbandry Schemes with SHG Members under NRLM

Ms. Upadhaya thanked the Ministry of Rural Development and the Transformation of Rural India Foundation (TRIF) for their efforts in raising awareness about these initiatives.

A webinar was held yesterday to promote the convergence of schemes from the Department of Animal Husbandry with Self-Help Group (SHG) members under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). The joint effort aimed to enhance the outreach of the Department of Animal Husbandry's programs to SHG members. The event, chaired by Ms. Alka Upadhaya, Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), was supported by Shri Charanjit Singh, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development, with a total of 9,500 participants attending.

Ms. Upadhaya thanked the Ministry of Rural Development and the Transformation of Rural India Foundation (TRIF) for their efforts in raising awareness about these initiatives. She emphasized the importance of improving cattle productivity in the dairy sector and highlighted small livestock, such as backyard poultry, pigs, goats, and sheep, as key sources of income and nutrition for rural women. To support these rural women, she underscored the need to promote entrepreneurship in livestock management.

Ms. Upadhaya also discussed livestock insurance, noting that the DAHD offers subsidies for insurance premiums, though challenges remain due to a lack of awareness and clarity in claims processing. She encouraged pashusakhis to receive training from insurance companies to become agents or sub-agents, allowing them to raise awareness about livestock insurance and assist SHG members with claims.

The Secretary further touched upon vaccination programs for livestock through government initiatives like the National Animal Disease Control Program (NADCP) and Livestock Health & Disease Control (LH&DC) schemes, as well as the importance of preventing zoonotic diseases, which can spread from animals to humans. She expressed optimism about future collaboration between DAHD and SHGs and called for similar initiatives to be continued.

Shri Charanjit Singh agreed that animal husbandry is a popular activity among SHG members and could help them achieve the target of earning more than one lakh per annum under the Lakhpati initiative. He noted that over 90 lakh SHG families are already supported by NRLM in the livestock sector, with 1,30,000 pashusakhis trained. He stressed the need to form more milk and poultry producer companies and expand SHG participation.

DAHD officials provided details on National Livestock Mission schemes that support entrepreneurship in poultry, sheep/goat, and pig farming. They also discussed fodder production and conservation, as well as the latest developments in livestock insurance, including the introduction of RFID tags and increased subsidies of up to 85% for premiums.

The webinar concluded with a vote of thanks to the Secretary of DAHD, the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development, and all participants, recognizing the importance of awareness-building initiatives like this webinar in empowering SHG members to take full advantage of the discussed schemes.