Goat Farming Loan and Subsidy 2026

NLM 50% subsidy, Kisan Credit Card, NABARD and a Maharashtra scheme: who is eligible, how much, how to apply and what is not confirmed.

Updated: 3 October 2026

The National Livestock Mission (NLM) pays a 50% capital subsidy on goat breeding units of 100 does and 5 bucks or more, capped at ₹10 lakh at that size and ₹50 lakh at 500+25. A family unit of 10 or 20 goats is below that minimum, so it is financed by a bank loan, often with a Kisan Credit Card for running costs, or by a state scheme such as Maharashtra's 10+1 unit.

Status on 3 October 2026: NLM is running, with January 2025 guidelines on the DAHD website and ₹808 crore in Budget 2026-27. Check with your State animal husbandry department whether the portal at nlm.udyamimitra.in is taking new applications.

Schemes at a glance

Scheme	Who can apply	What it gives	Official link
NLM entrepreneurship, sheep and goat breeding unit	Individuals, FPOs, FCOs, SHGs, JLGs, Section 8 companies	50% capital subsidy, capped at ₹10 lakh (100+5), ₹20 lakh (200+10), ₹30 lakh (300+15), ₹40 lakh (400+20), ₹50 lakh (500+25)	nlm.udyamimitra.in and the DAHD NLM page
PM-JUGA goat component, inside the NLM guidelines	Scheduled Tribe families with a forest rights patta in covered tribal villages	90% subsidy up to ₹1,00,000 for 10 does and a buck, or up to ₹50,000 for 5 does and a buck	Through the State animal husbandry department
AHDF Kisan Credit Card	Keepers of goats, sheep, pigs, poultry or rabbits, including tenants, SHGs and JLGs	Working-capital credit: feed, vet aid, insurance, labour, water and power	DAHD KCC leaflet
Maharashtra 10+1 goat unit	Selected beneficiaries who meet the department conditions below	50% or 75% subsidy on 10 does and 1 buck (the form does not say which category gets which)	ah.mahabms.com

NLM entrepreneurship component

The unit is 100 to 500 females and 5 to 25 males, so a 10-doe unit does not qualify. Subsidy covers capital items only: sheds, animals, fodder cultivation, chaff cutter, silage machine, equipment and insurance. Working capital, land, a personal vehicle and rent are excluded.

Applicants must meet all of these:

training or experience, or trained experts hired;
a sanctioned bank loan, or for a self-financed project a three-year bank guarantee;
own or leased land (FPOs, FCOs, SHGs and JLGs have a separate procedure);
KYC documents, and ability to run the unit for three years;
at least 10% of the project cost as margin money.

How the application moves:

Fill in the online form at nlm.udyamimitra.in.
The State Implementing Agency of the animal husbandry department scrutinises it and recommends the project to a bank or a lender such as NCDC.
The lender sanctions the loan.
The State Level Executive Committee (SLEC) recommends the project to the Centre, and DAHD's Project Approval Committee approves it.
SIDBI sends the first half of the subsidy to the lender after at least 25% of the loan is released (or 25% of the cost is spent in a self-financed project), confirmed by the State agency. The second half follows completion.
DAHD can recall the subsidy if the unit is abandoned within three years of commercial production.

Illustration: the 100+5 project on goat farm project cost has capital items of ₹10,62,750; half is ₹5,31,375, under the cap.

Want help starting or getting a loan?

Kisan Credit Card for goat keepers

Card types: DAHD's leaflet lists an add-on for existing crop KCC holders; a specific AHDF card for ₹2 lakh without collateral or land ownership; and a special card with collateral or a processor tie-up, up to ₹3 lakh.
Current limits: PIB of 11 March 2026 says the allied-activity limit rose from ₹2 lakh to ₹5 lakh in 2025-26 and collateral-free credit is ₹2 lakh from 1 January 2025. Short-term agri loans up to ₹3 lakh carry 7% interest, with a 3% prompt-repayment subvention, so 4%. The older leaflet says subvention applies only up to ₹2 lakh, so ask the bank which limit applies to a goat card.
How to apply: go to any bank branch with the paper form, an ID and a recent photograph. The leaflet says the card is issued within 15 days of a complete application and processing fee is waived up to ₹3 lakh.
A KCC pays for feed, vet aid, insurance and labour. It does not pay for the shed or the animals, which need a term loan. See Kisan Credit Card.

NABARD

NABARD's refinance terms are not covered here; ask your bank.
NABARD's Maharashtra unit cost booklet is written for banks, which fix the final unit cost. It shows a 15% margin and 85% loan on a 10+1 unit. The 100+5 reference project assumes 10% interest over 84 months with a one-year moratorium.
No NABARD capital subsidy for a goat unit is confirmed on an official page. Do not count on one.

Maharashtra 10+1 scheme

The Pashusamvardhan Vibhag form that selected beneficiaries sign for the semi-stall-fed 10 goat + 1 buck (or 10 ewe + 1 ram) scheme sets these conditions. The form is undated.

Not a resident of a municipal corporation, council, nagar panchayat or cantonment area.
No third living child after 1 May 2001, and no family member in government, semi-government or local body service or office.
No benefit from a dairy, goat, sheep or poultry scheme in the last three years.
Keep the animals three years, insure and vaccinate them, and sell none without permission.

The form does not say how to apply; it is countersigned by the Panchayat Samiti's livestock development officer (extension), so ask that office. The portal is ah.mahabms.com. These conditions come from an archived copy of the form, so confirm them with the office.

Bihar and Rajasthan: no goat scheme rates are given here. Ask the district animal husbandry office, and try the subsidy finder.

Open, closed or merged

NLM entrepreneurship component: open on paper, with January 2025 guidelines on the DAHD page as of 3 October 2026.
Integrated Scheme for Entrepreneurship Development: a new ₹500 crore line in Budget 2026-27 for credit-linked subsidy. No guidelines are available and nothing confirms it replaces NLM, so treat it as not open.
Other subsidies: schemes that appear only on private websites, such as a general NABARD goat subsidy, are unconfirmed. Check with the bank or district office before paying anyone.

Size a loan with the EMI calculator, read the National Livestock Mission overview, and see livestock farming for other options.

Sources

More in this guide

Goat breeds in India Goat farm project cost

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How much subsidy is there for goat farming under NLM? +

The National Livestock Mission gives a 50% capital subsidy on sheep and goat breeding units, capped at Rs 10 lakh for 100 females and 5 males, Rs 20 lakh for 200+10, Rs 30 lakh for 300+15, Rs 40 lakh for 400+20 and Rs 50 lakh for 500+25. Working capital and land purchase are not covered.

Can I get NLM subsidy for 10 or 20 goats? +

No. The NLM guidelines set a unit of at least 100 females and 5 males. A 10 or 20 goat unit is financed by a bank loan, a Kisan Credit Card for running costs, or a state scheme. Tribal families with a forest rights patta can get 90% up to Rs 1,00,000 for 10 does and a buck under PM-JUGA.

How do I apply for the NLM goat subsidy? +

Fill in the online form on nlm.udyamimitra.in. The State Implementing Agency scrutinises it, a bank sanctions the loan, the State Level Executive Committee recommends it and DAHD approves it. SIDBI releases the subsidy in two equal instalments through the lender. Check with your State animal husbandry department whether the portal is taking new applications.

Can a Kisan Credit Card be used for goat farming? +

Yes, DAHD's leaflet offers an AHDF Kisan Credit Card to keepers of goats, sheep, pigs and poultry, including tenants. It pays for feed, vet aid, insurance and labour, not for the shed or animals. PIB of March 2026 says the allied-activity limit is now Rs 5 lakh, with Rs 2 lakh collateral-free. Ask the bank which limit applies.

Is there a NABARD subsidy for goat farming? +

No NABARD capital subsidy for goat units is confirmed on an official page. NABARD publishes unit costs that banks use, for example Rs 1,47,963 for a 10+1 unit in Maharashtra for 2023-24, with a 15% margin and 85% loan. The loan itself comes from a bank.

Is the Integrated Scheme for Entrepreneurship Development open? +

Union Budget 2026-27 shows a new Rs 500 crore line with that name for credit-linked subsidy and other support. No guidelines are available and nothing confirms it replaces the NLM entrepreneurship component, so do not treat it as open until the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying publishes them.