A webinar was held to promote the convergence of schemes between the Department of Animal Husbandry and Self Help Group (SHG) members under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). The event, chaired by Ms. Alka Upadhaya, Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), and Shri Charanjit Singh, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development, focused on expanding the reach of animal husbandry schemes to SHG members.
Key Points from the Webinar:
- Enhancing Livestock Entrepreneurship Among SHGs: Ms. Upadhaya emphasized the importance of livestock, including small ruminants such as poultry, pigs, goats, and sheep, in increasing income and nutrition for rural women. Entrepreneurship in these sectors is being promoted, with a special focus on the dairy sector.
- Livestock Insurance and Pashusakhis: Livestock insurance was highlighted as a critical area where Pashusakhis (trained SHG members) can play a vital role. They are encouraged to train with insurance companies to become agents and support fellow SHG members in accessing insurance services. The DAHD is promoting subsidized insurance, with new measures like RFID tags and an increase in subsidy on premiums (up to 85%).
- Vaccination Programs: Vaccination programs for livestock, under government schemes like NADCP (National Animal Disease Control Program) and LH&DC (Livestock Health and Disease Control), were discussed to ensure preventive health of livestock and control zoonotic diseases (those that spread from animals to humans).
- NRLM Support in Livestock Sector: Shri Charanjit Singh emphasized that animal husbandry is one of the most popular activities among SHG members. He highlighted that 90 lakh SHG families are already involved in the livestock sector, supported by NRLM, and there are 1,30,000 Pashusakhis trained to help them. Additionally, 11 milk producer companies and 4 poultry producer companies are functioning across India, with a need for more such initiatives to increase SHG income.
- Entrepreneurship and Fodder Conservation: The officials discussed the entrepreneurship opportunities for SHG members in poultry, sheep/goat, pig farming, and fodder conservation. They also introduced schemes like the National Livestock Mission, which aims to promote such ventures and explained how SHG members could benefit from them.
The session concluded with a call for continued interactions between DAHD and SHG members to promote awareness and ensure that more women in rural areas can take advantage of the government’s livestock programs and increase their household incomes.
This webinar, attended by 9,500 participants, showcased the government’s commitment to empowering rural women through livestock-related entrepreneurship, emphasizing training, insurance, and health management.
