Livestock rearing: Nod for direct benefit transfers

ACCORDING TO A PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE REPORT ON THE SECTOR, LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND AGRICULTURE ARE “INTRINSICALLY LINKED”. EACH SECTOR IS DEPENDENT ON THE OTHER AND “BOTH ARE CRUCIAL FOR OVERALL FOOD SECURITY”

NEWDELHI: The agriculture ministry will adopt a direct ‘benefit transfer mechanism’ for subsidised loans for entrepreneurship in livestock, a key source of rural income, a spokesperson for the ministry said.

Falling crop-based food prices has stoked a widespread angst among farmers. Their falling incomes could be supplemented by rural livestock business, for which there is a component called “entrepreneurship development and employment generation” under the National Livestock Mission.

The state-run NABARD, an agency under the finance ministry, has developed an online portal called ENSURE (www.ensure.nabard.org) so that the information related to beneficiaries and processing of applications can be readily available, according to a statement from the ministry.

The budget outlay under the livestock mission for 2018-19 is ₹380 crore, according to a document reviewed by the HT.

Under the livestock entrepreneurship programme, subsidy cash transfers will be made directly to beneficiaries for activities related to poultry, small ruminants and piggery etc.

Credit-linked proposals from rural entrepreneurs will be appraised and approved by banks for a “Poultry Venture Capital Fund”.

According to a parliamentary standing committee report on the sector, livestock production and agriculture are “intrinsically linked”. Each sector is dependent on the other and “both are crucial for overall food security”.

Livestock sector continues to be a crucial part of the farm economy.

According to National Sample Survey Organisation’s 68th Round Survey on employment and unemployment, 16.44 million workers were engaged in the activities of farming of animals, mixed farming, fishing and aquaculture.

Under the livestock entrepreneurship scheme, funds to the tune of 1.5% of the sanctioned amount are being given towards administrative charges or operational expenses in the entrepreneurship programme to state governments.

Likewise, for credit-linked proposals, there is a separate fund, with NABARD as the channelising agency. Since 2014, the government has disbursed nearly ₹400 crore under the scheme.

The country has about 300 million bovines, 65.07 million sheep, 135.2 million goats and about 10.3 million pigs, according to the 19th Livestock Census.

Investment in this sector can drive farm incomes substantially, according to the Parliament report.