Government Approves Revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission With Rs 1,000 Crore Additional Funding

The central government has approved the revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) with an additional ₹1,000 crore, bringing the total allocation to ₹3,400 crore.

This move aims to strengthen livestock development, boost milk production, and increase farmers’ income.

New Incentives To Boost Livestock Development

The revised scheme introduces two new incentives to support livestock development:

• Heifer Rearing Centres: The government will provide one-time assistance of 35% of the capital cost for setting up Heifer Rearing Centres for 15,000 heifer cows across 30 housing facilities.
• Interest Subsidy on Loans for IVF Heifers: Farmers will receive a 3% interest subsidy on loans to purchase high genetic merit (HGM) IVF heifers. The government aims to promote the systemic induction of high-yielding breeds through this initiative.

Government Approves 15th Finance Commission Cycle

The revised RGM has been approved for the 15th Finance Commission cycle, with increased funds allocated for the financial years 2025 and 2026.

The scheme will however continue to support key activities like semen station strengthening, artificial insemination, bull production, breed improvement through sex-sorted semen, farmer training, and cattle breeding farms.

India has witnessed significant growth in milk production over the past decade.

The country’s milk production has further increased by 63.55%, with per capita milk availability rising from 307 grams per day in FY14 to 471 grams per day in FY24.

Livestock productivity has also grown by 26.34% in the same period.

The government however highlighted that the revised RGM will further boost milk production and productivity, ultimately increasing farmers’ incomes.

Support for Indigenous Breeds and IVF Expansion

The revised RGM also focuses on strengthening indigenous bovine breeds through scientific bull production and genomic chip development.

The use of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) has expanded under the scheme, helping improve cattle productivity.

With 8.5 crore dairy farmers dependent on the sector, the government expects the revised RGM to play a vital role in improving rural livelihoods and strengthening India’s dairy industry.

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