Him Kukkut Palan Yojna
Introduction
In the state of Himachal Pradesh, poultry farming has shown vast potential of self employment opportunity and augmenting the nutritional status of the rural population by enhancing the availability of proteins in the diet at a reasonable cost. In the recent years, one unfortunate trend has been decreasing per capita availability of pulses, the only major source of proteins for the large majority of population. The protein gap in the nutritional demand has to be bridged rapidly, and the poultry produce provide an affordable alternative source of proteins.
The poultry farming in Himachal Pradesh play an important role in improving the social economic status of rural population particularly the landless. This is due to the fact that poultry farming require minimum capital and ensure quick returns, thereby improving the quality of life of the rural poor. The sale of poultry produce helps in increasing crop production through purchase of essential inputs such as seed, insecticides, etc. In 2020-21 the poultry meat production & egg production in Himachal Pradesh were 1252.406 tons & 1007.002 Lakhs, respectively.
In Himachal Pradesh, the poultry production output corresponds to the backyard poultry production because people prefer poultry units of small size i.e. 50 to 100 birds each rather than bigger units because of the topographic and climatic condition and the investment profile of the rural population. These backyard units are becoming popular as it provides supplementary income as well as nutrition of high order without incurring extra expenditure. This has been further made successful with the introduction of hybrid birds by the department of Animal Husbandry through the various Poultry Development Projects running in the state.
Aims and Objectives
Following aims and objectives will also be achieved:-
- To provide good diet to the people of the state. It will be possible to make poultry available at reasonable rates if it is produced locally. Large rural populations face the problem of protein-calorie malnutrition, thus needing animal proteins with high biological values which can be met through poultry meat.
- To augment the income of the rural people where poultry farming along with the livestock rearing is being carried on as a mixed farming complementary to the crop production.
- Doubling of income of farmers.
- To increase the employment opportunities for the rural population since most of them are unemployed or grossly underemployed.
- To produce manure of high grade at minimal cost.
Strategy
Since more and more poultry farmers have shown inclination towards adopting poultry as per occupation consequent to their success in backyard scheme, they want the department to focus or commercial broiler farming in the state as well. For the benefit of such entrepreneurs/farmers and seeing the benefits of poultry rearing as an enterprise, such farmers need to be incentivize by way of assistance through Government by Broiler scheme on subsidy basis in the state.
Target Beneficiaries
The target groups under this scheme will be farmers belonging to SC/ST/General categories who have undertaken training in poultry farming from Government Poultry farms. Approximately 100 farmers per year will be assisted under the scheme. The poultry breeders who have been assisted earlier (more than two years) under different commercial broiler scheme run by the department may also apply for benefit under the scheme with condition that he/she is running the scheme successfully and the established unit is still viable.
Person interested to avail the benefit under this scheme shall have to apply to concerned Officer/Veterinary Officer on prescribed format (Annexure-A).
The applicant has to submit the undertaking along-with application that he/she will abide by the term and conditions of the scheme and also has not availed any such benefit earlier under Commercial Broiler Schemes. He/she will not discontinue the scheme during course of the project and if he/she discontinues the scheme or flout any of the terms and condition of scheme, shall have to refund the entire amount of scheme along with interest @ 12%. The said amount shall be recovered from the balance capital subsidy from them.
The beneficiary has to provide the certified/authenticated copy of documents establishing ownership/ possession of land on which the shed is constructed/to be constructed.
The Senior Veterinary Officer/Veterinary Officer shall forward the application of the beneficiaries Controlling Officer, who will select the beneficiaries after scrutinizing the application on the first come first serve basis.
In order to avail subsidy for construction of shed & store, the beneficiary has to submit the completion certificate duly verified by the officer of the rank of the Junior Engineer or above concerned Block/HPPWD sub- division. The subsidy thereafter, shall be transferred to the linked bank account of Beneficiary through RTGS only by the DDO/Deputy Director (AH/B) of respective District.
Subsidy
Government shall be providing funds against Capital Investment in this project under subsidy component as per approved norms on first come first serve basis as per availability of budget. Of total capital investment, 60% will be the subsidy assistance while maximum 40% will be the component to be provided by the beneficiary/banks to the beneficiaries belonging to SC, ST & General Category.
Since, the beneficiary may not be able to raise 3000 chicks at one go due to constraints, so provision is being kept to provide chicks in installment of 1000 chicks as per requirement.