Pic Credit: Pexel
New Delhi, Sep 28: The Centre is set to launch a new Livestock Insurance Portal to make insurance services easier to access and manage for livestock farmers, while providing stronger financial protection against losses of insured animals.
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh will launch the portal in New Delhi. Developed by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the digital platform is aimed at bringing livestock insurance services onto a single, transparent and technology-driven system.
The portal will bring key services such as policy registration, insurance issuance, claim processing, monitoring and reporting together on one platform. This is expected to simplify procedures, reduce paperwork and improve coordination among farmers, insurance agencies and government authorities.
Making Insurance Easier for Farmers
One of the key objectives of the initiative is to improve access to insurance, particularly for small and marginal farmers who depend heavily on livestock for household income.
The portal will be available in Hindi, English and 11 regional languages, making it easier for farmers to understand insurance provisions, access services and track their applications and claims.
For farmers, livestock insurance can provide an important financial safety net. The loss of cattle or other insured animals can significantly affect household income, particularly for families that depend on dairy farming and livestock-related activities. Faster and more transparent claim processing can help reduce the financial pressure caused by such losses.
Supporting Rural Livelihoods
Under the existing Livestock Insurance framework, beneficiaries contribute 15 per cent of the insurance premium, while the Centre and state governments jointly bear the remaining 85 per cent.
Subsidised insurance coverage is available for up to 10 cattle units per beneficiary household for most eligible animals, with separate limits for pigs and rabbits.
Government data shows that 60.8 lakh animals were insured during the latest five-year reference period, while ₹161.07 crore was released under the scheme.
The new digital platform is expected to make such support easier to administer and reach eligible beneficiaries more efficiently.
Greater Transparency in Claims
Another important objective is to improve the monitoring of insurance policies and claims. By shifting major processes to a common digital platform, the government expects to improve visibility over applications, policy status and claim settlements.
Real-time data can also help authorities identify delays, monitor implementation and take corrective action where necessary. Better data management could support more informed policymaking and improve the delivery of livestock-related programmes.
The government is also exploring the use of radio-frequency identification technology for animal identification. Such technology could help improve record-keeping and make verification during insurance claims more efficient.
Wider Economic Impact
The initiative could have an impact beyond insurance administration. Livestock is an important source of income for millions of rural households and contributes to India’s dairy, meat and other allied sectors.
Greater access to affordable insurance can reduce the financial risks associated with livestock ownership and provide farmers with greater confidence to maintain or expand their animal holdings.
A stronger insurance system can also support the broader rural economy by helping protect household incomes when livestock losses occur. This, in turn, can support spending on animal feed, veterinary services, dairy activities and other rural businesses linked to the livestock value chain.
For the government, the digital platform could improve institutional efficiency by bringing information and monitoring systems together. For farmers, the larger objective is simpler access to insurance, better information and a more transparent process for receiving support.
The launch of the Livestock Insurance Portal therefore marks a step towards technology-enabled risk protection for livestock farmers, with the potential to strengthen rural livelihoods while improving the efficiency and reach of government-supported insurance services.