Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department

Dindigul district with its headquarters at dindigul, is functioning from 1985 following the Bifurcation of Madurai district into two. There by the Office of the Regional joint director of animal husbandry was established. This region consists of 9 Taluks and 14 Panchayat unions.

Dindigul district has a reputation of being located in the white belt of Tamil Nadu. Animal Husbandry practices plays a pivotal role in rural economy and shares an equal importance along with agriculture as a remunerative occupation. Part of Dindigul District viz., Palani and Vedasandur Taluk lies in the Kangayam breeding tract. Livestock rearing is the Bread winner of many families of rural Dindigul District.

Most of the Taluks have good population of cross bred cows with different level of exotic inheritance. The density of sheep and goat population is high in Palani, Vedasandur and Dindigul Taluk. The following sheep breeds in these areas are the reputed Mecheri breed. Goats are multiplying without any directional breeding. 2 PECs are serves as model units in Poultry Management. Artificial breeding facility is provided through a wide network of insemination centres. Animal Health cover is extended through a network of Veterinary institutions situated uniformly in this department.

This dept is responsible for Various animal husbandry practices like Disease diagnosis, treatment, Prevention of diseases ,Vaccination , obtaining best calves from Artificial Insemination there by increasing milk production, Nourishing Livestock through Green Fodder development there by helping poor people.

Priceless goat-sheep scheme 2017-18

Eligibility of beneficiaries (only women)

1. Preference is given to those, whose family head is a women(Preference given to widows, destitutes, Handicaps and transgenders)
2. Should be landless farm labourer)
3. Should be a permanent resident of that panchayat.
4. Atleast one Member in the family Should be of age between 18 to 60 so as to effectively rear the sheep/ goat
5. Should not possess own cow, sheep/ goat
6. Should not be the employee of Central/State govt and allied company, member of coop society (they or their spouse, father mother, father in law, mother in law, son, daughter son in law and daughter in law should not work in above said organisations)
7. Should not be the beneficiary of priceless cow scheme.

In 5 years term It is planned to give goat/sheep to poorest of poor woman beneficiaries of all village panchayat in the state excluding corporation, municipalities, Town panchayats. In every village panchayat beneficiaries are selected on basis of proportion of population. Every year 1 in 5 village panchayat are selected in every union of the district.

Village level selection committee

1. Village Panchayat President
2. Vice President
3. Senior SC/ST ward member( based on age)
4. Panchayat level self help group coordinator
5. Representative from well functioning self help group
6. Veterinary Asst Surgeon of that region
7. Deputy BDO(SC/ST welfare)

First phase of beneficiaries were selected based the above eligibility criteria and recommendation of the committee mentioned above with verification from VAO.

Gram Saba will approve final beneficiaries list. Selected list should have 30% SC/ST beneficiaries.

Selected beneficiaries should not sell their Sheep and Goat for another 2 years.

Special feature of this scheme is beneficiaries can select their goat/sheep themselves by directly going to shandy. Normally they are allowed to purchase 3 females and 1 male goat/sheep .Purchase is allowed in nearby shandy or from good goat/sheep breeders. After purchase Animal husbandry dept will look after health care for 2 years.

Priceless milch cow scheme

This scheme was implemented in areas where there is lesser no of cooperative societies villages in the district. Eligible women is given with One milch cow in order to increase the income of a woman beneficiary in that family.

Selection of milch cow is done in neighboring state by beneficiary herself.,/p>

At present in Dindigul district, 500 female beneficiaries were provided with 500 milch cows in 10 gram panchayat with cost of Rs.2.02 crores.,/p>

These beneficiaries should not sell their cows for another 4 years.

Poultry Development Scheme

In order to uplift the agriculture economy in the district each beneficiary was provided with 250 native chicks with 25% state govt subsidy. Farmers are encouraged to execute this scheme with their own fund.

Rural Backyard Poultry Scheme

In this scheme 20 native chickens of 4-6 week old is given at free of cost beneficiaries with night shelter.

Kalnadai Pathukappu Thittam

In this scheme livestock’s are treated, De-wormed and artificially inseminated at free of cost in the camps conducted at their own village itself.