Help for goat farmers comes from four places: the National Livestock Mission (NLM), the Kisan Credit Card, bank loans backed by NABARD, and state schemes. First, the big news: on 23 October 2026, NLM's breeding-farm subsidy was not taking new goat projects while the scheme is revised. No one can promise you a loan or a subsidy; the bank or the department decides.
The schemes at a glance
| Scheme | Run by | What it is for | Status on 23 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLM breeding-farm subsidy | Government of India (DAHD) | Farms of 100–500 does | New proposals stopped; scheme under revision |
| Livestock insurance | State animal husbandry departments, under NLM | Insuring your goats | In the January 2025 guidelines; ask locally if it is open |
| Kisan Credit Card (KCC) | Banks | Feed, care and other running costs | Running; latest terms stated for 2025-26 |
| Bank loan for a goat unit | Banks, refinanced by NABARD | Animals, shed and equipment | Open; the bank decides |
| Vetri Magalir Goat Rearing Scheme | Government of Tamil Nadu | Free goats or sheep for some groups | Announced on 5 August 2026; how to apply not yet published |
National Livestock Mission: breeding-farm subsidy
- Official name: National Livestock Mission, Entrepreneurship Development Programme (NLM-EDP).
- Run by: Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Government of India, with an agency in each state; in Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Nadu Livestock Development Corporation (TNLDC), formerly the Tamil Nadu Livestock Development Agency (TNLDA).
- Status: a DAHD order of 24 September 2026 says no further new proposals will be approved under the existing programme, and pending goat and sheep proposals are being returned. The scheme is "presently under revision"; you can apply again once DAHD issues revised guidelines and the portal reopens (DAHD order). On 23 October 2026 the portal said online applications "shall be started soon", with the date to be shared there (NLM portal).
- Already approved? Finish the project and send the documents by 31 December 2026; the portal says there will be no further extension.
- What the last version gave: a one-time capital subsidy of 50%, paid in two equal parts through your bank (NLM guidelines, January 2025):
| Breeding unit (does + bucks) | Highest subsidy |
|---|---|
| 100 + 5 | ₹10 lakh |
| 200 + 10 | ₹20 lakh |
| 300 + 15 | ₹30 lakh |
| 400 + 20 | ₹40 lakh |
| 500 + 25 | ₹50 lakh |
- Not covered: land, rent or lease, working capital, personal vehicles.
- Who could apply: individuals, self-help groups (SHGs), farmer producer organisations (FPOs), farmer cooperatives, joint liability groups (JLGs) and Section 8 companies. They needed training or experience, own or leased land, at least 10% of the cost as their own share, a bank loan sanction (or a bank guarantee), and had to run the farm for 3 years.
- Documents: a detailed project report, land or lease document, site photos, PAN, Aadhaar, address proof, bank statements for 6 months, a cancelled cheque, a photo, and training or experience certificates (NLM document list).
- Official page: https://nlm.udyamimitra.in
Rules change — confirm with your nearest veterinary hospital or animal husbandry office.
Livestock insurance
- Official name: Livestock Insurance, part of NLM.
- Run by: your state animal husbandry department, through veterinary hospitals.
- What it gives: in the January 2025 guidelines, you pay 15% of the premium and the governments pay the rest, for up to 10 "cattle units" per household. One cattle unit is 10 goats or sheep, so that is up to 100 goats (NLM guidelines).
- How to apply: at your veterinary hospital. The vet examines each goat and agrees its value with the insurer; the goat gets a 12-digit ear tag, and two photos go with the form: the goat with you, and the goat with its tag showing.
- Claims: none in the first 21 days. If an insured goat dies, tell the insurance company and your vet at once. The claim needs four documents: your intimation to the company, the policy, the claim form and the post-mortem report.
- Tamil Nadu: the 2023-24 rate sheet insured goats in groups of 10; for ₹40,000 of cover on 10 goats, the farmer's share was ₹99.60 a year in most districts (TNLDA). The state also announced a new livestock insurance scheme, "Kaalnadaigal Kaappom", on 5 August 2026 (Tamil Nadu budget speech); its details were not published by 23 October 2026.
Rules change — confirm with your nearest veterinary hospital or animal husbandry office.
Kisan Credit Card for animal husbandry
- Official name: Kisan Credit Card (KCC), with interest support under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS).
- Run by: commercial, regional rural and cooperative banks, with interest support from the Government of India.
- Who can apply: farmers, including tenant farmers and sharecroppers, and SHGs and JLGs (PIB, 11 March 2026).
- What it gives: short-term credit for running costs such as feed, fodder, vet care and labour. For 2025-26 the government stated 7% interest, with up to 3% off for repaying on time (so 4%); for loans only for animal husbandry, this benefit applies up to ₹2 lakh (PIB, 28 May 2025). In March 2026 it said the general MISS limit had been raised to ₹5 lakh. We could not find the decision for 2026-27, so ask your bank which limit applies now.
- Collateral: RBI told banks not to ask for collateral or margin money on farm loans up to ₹2 lakh from 1 January 2025 (RBI).
- How to apply: at your bank branch, or at a KCC camp held by your animal husbandry department. Common Service Centres can help with the form.
- Documents: ask your bank for its list; keep Aadhaar, a photo, your passbook, any land or lease papers, and details of your goats and shed ready.
Rules change — confirm with your nearest veterinary hospital or animal husbandry office.
Bank loan for a goat unit
- Run by: commercial, cooperative and regional rural banks. NABARD does not lend to farmers directly; it refinances banks, and goat rearing is an eligible activity (NABARD model, 2017).
- What it gives: a term loan for animals, shed and equipment. NABARD's model expects your own share of 10–25%, repayment over 5–7 years with a grace period at the start, interest set by the bank, and the loan paid in stages.
- How much: for 2026-27, NABARD's Tamil Nadu office puts a 10 does + 1 buck unit at about ₹3,50,000 and a 20 does + 1 buck unit at about ₹6,72,000 with a mud-floor shed (NABARD, June 2026). See Goat farming costs and income: a worked example.
- How to apply and documents: take a project report, KYC, land or lease papers and quotations to your nearest branch; see what goes in the report.
Rules change — confirm with your nearest veterinary hospital or animal husbandry office.
Tamil Nadu: Vetri Magalir Goat Rearing Scheme
- Official name: Vetri Magalir Goat Rearing Scheme.
- Run by: Government of Tamil Nadu; announced in the Revised Budget Estimates 2026-27 speech on 5 August 2026 (Tamil Nadu budget speech).
- Who can apply: destitute widows, deserted women, transgender persons and persons with disabilities living in rural areas.
- What it gives: five goats or sheep with a 100% subsidy, for about 30,000 people, with ₹110 crore set aside.
- How to apply and documents: not yet published on an official page that we could find on 23 October 2026. Ask your nearest veterinary hospital or the district animal husbandry office.
Rules change — confirm with your nearest veterinary hospital or animal husbandry office.
Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
We could not confirm a current goat scheme for these states from an official government page on 23 October 2026. State schemes change with each budget, so ask your district animal husbandry office or nearest veterinary hospital what is open this year, and whether NLM livestock insurance is running in your district.
Outside Tamil Nadu? Ask your state's animal husbandry department or the nearest government veterinary hospital about the schemes there.
Rules change — confirm with your nearest veterinary hospital or animal husbandry office.
Apply safely
- Apply only on official portals, at your bank, or at the animal husbandry office. Keep copies and the acknowledgement number, and do not spend money expecting a subsidy until it is sanctioned.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a 50% subsidy for goat farming?
The NLM version that ran from 2021-22 gave a 50% capital subsidy for breeding farms of 100–500 does, up to ₹50 lakh. On 23 October 2026 no new proposals were being approved while DAHD revises the scheme. Watch https://nlm.udyamimitra.in for the new guidelines.
Can I get a subsidy for 10 or 20 goats?
Not under NLM's last version, which started at 100 does. Look at a bank loan and the Kisan Credit Card, Tamil Nadu's Vetri Magalir scheme if you are eligible, and ask your district office about state schemes.
Can I insure my goats?
Yes, where the NLM insurance is running: ask your veterinary hospital. You pay 15% of the premium for up to 100 goats per household, and each goat needs an ear tag.
Next
Work out your numbers in Goat farming costs and income: a worked example before you apply. When your goats are ready to sell, read How to sell goats: timing, fair price and safe payment and post a free ad, or look at goats for sale.
