Srinagar, Feb 18: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday said that losses of livestock due to natural calamities such as flash floods, lightning, and other weather-related events are covered under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), with compensation provided strictly as per prescribed norms after due verification.
Replying to a question in the Legislative Assembly raised by MLA Mohammed Akram, the Minister in charge of Animal/Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries said that cases of livestock losses are processed at the district level. The concerned District Sheep Husbandry Officers, in coordination with Revenue authorities, assess the damage and submit verified cases to the District Development Commissioner for sanction and disbursement of relief.
The minister said that affected livestock rearers are compensated in accordance with established SDRF guidelines to ensure timely financial assistance following natural disasters.
Highlighting additional safeguards for livestock owners, the minister said that the Livestock Insurance component under the National Livestock Mission (NLM) provides financial protection in the event of death of insured animals. Under the scheme, beneficiaries are required to bear only 15 per cent of the insurance premium, while the remaining amount is subsidised by the Government.
Although there is no separate livestock-specific compensation scheme, the Minister said that the interests of rearers are protected through existing insurance provisions and disaster relief mechanisms.
The House was also informed that the Revised Operational Guidelines of the Integrated Dairy Development Scheme (IDDS)-2025 allow procurement of dairy cattle from registered breeders, breeder associations, and progressive dairy farmers both within and outside the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The guiding principle of the scheme is to ensure induction of genetically superior, disease-free and traceable animals. Therefore, procurement is not restricted to geographical considerations alone,” the Minister said.
To ensure transparency and equal opportunity to eligible breeders — including those from Kathua, R.S. Pora, Jammu and other districts — the scheme mandates listing of animals on the e-Pashuhaat portal through the e-Gopala App, developed by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India.
Local breeders and vendors of the Union Territory are fully eligible to participate in the scheme by registering their saleable livestock on the portal, the Minister added, reiterating that procurement decisions are based on genetic quality, productivity and animal health rather than place of origin.
The minister further informed the Assembly that there is currently no proposal under consideration to introduce special tagging or branding of local sheep wool or to fix a base price for its sale.
Arif Rashid
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