The Uttarakhand government’s scheme to strengthen the economy of border villages by supplying animal flesh and fish to the Indo Tibet Border Police (ITBP) has started bearing fruits as it helped the villagers earn Rs 2.6 crore in the last four months.

As per officials of the state animal husbandry department supplying mutton, fish and chicken to the ITBP has the potential to earn ₹20 crore annual with the production of 800 metric tonnes of Animal flesh and fishes.

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As per information shared by the state Animal Husbandry Department 10 cooperative societies and Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO) belonging to Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Champawat posted net income of around ₹2.6 crore within four months of the scheme launched by Pushkar Singh Dhami government.

The scheme was launched following an MoU signed between Uttarakhand government and ITBP on October 30, 2023. As per MoU state government provided aides to the farmers were provided support to rear high breed goats and chickens and supply their flesh to ITBP.

This was aimed at providing direct employment and business opportunities to the border villages in the state. After this scheme was launched and farmers began supplying mutton and chicken to the ITBP.

The farmers supplied a total of 79,530 kilograms including 42,748 kilograms sheep-goat, 29,407 kilograms chicken and 7,374 kilograms trout fish to the nearest ITBP camps in the respective areas. This fetched a net business of ₹ 2.6 crore to the farmers with ITBP as their market.

The Animal Husbandry Department entered into a formal contract with ITBP regarding this scheme on 30 October. Under this, 253 farmers associated with 10 cooperative societies and FPOs of Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Champawat districts are supplying live mutton, chicken, fish to the nearest battalion of ITBP.

Secretary, State Animal Husbandry Department Dr BVRC Purushottam informed that under the scheme, farmers are being paid through DBT within 24 hours of their supplies.

“The department has set up a revolving fund of ₹5 crore to help border villages farmers rear high flesh yielding goats, sheeps, chickens and trout fishes. These farmers will be able to generate a net income of around ₹20 crore annually. This for the fact that under the scheme, ITBP is expected to get the supply of 800 metric tonnes of mutton, chicken, fish annually. This will bring a big change in the livelihood of marginal farmers belonging mainly to boarder villages” said Purshottam.