Installation of Anti-Hail Nets Scheme (Krishi Utpadan Sanrakshan — Anti Hail Net Yojana)
80% of the cost of the net that stands between a ten-minute hailstorm and a wiped-out apple, plum or vegetable crop — up to 5,000 square metres per family.
Run by: Department of Horticulture, Government of Himachal Pradesh
- Subsidy
- 80% of net cost
- Area ceiling
- 5,000 sq m per family
- Crops protected
- Apple, plum, pear, persimmon, vegetables
- Net types
- Knitted & Raschel, Woven & Leno
- Apply via
- Horticulture Dept / eUdyan portal
- FY2024-25 uptake
- ₹19.42cr, 2,737 farmers
Overview
A hailstorm in the hills does not take a season to ruin a crop — it takes minutes. Himachal's apple, plum, pear and persimmon orchards, along with hail-prone vegetables like peas, cabbage, cauliflower, capsicum and tomato, sit exposed to exactly this risk every year. An anti-hail net is the physical shield against it, but netting a full orchard or vegetable plot is expensive — which is what this scheme is built to soften.
The government pays 80 per cent of the net's cost, up to a ceiling of 5,000 square metres per beneficiary family. Two material categories are notified with fixed rates — Knitted & Raschel nets and Woven & Leno nets — so the subsidy is calculated against a known per-square-metre cost rather than whatever the farmer happens to be quoted. The scheme began under the Horticulture Department, ran for a period through the Agriculture Department as well, and assistance is now administered by the Horticulture Department; farmers should always get sanction before buying the net, since assistance is released subject to budget availability.
The demand is concentrated in Shimla district's hail belt — Rohru, Narkanda, Rampur, Jubbal, Kotkhai-Theog, Kotgarh and Chopal — where a hailstorm can wipe out an apple crop in minutes. Funding has actually grown over recent years despite a 2024 controversy over the net component being dropped from the bundled Krishi Utpadan Sanrakshan (fencing) scheme: the previous government had allocated ₹10 crore for it in FY2021-22, and the Horticulture Department utilised ₹19.42 crore for it in FY2024-25 alone, reaching 2,737 farmers that year.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- 80% of the anti-hail net's cost is reimbursed, up to a 5,000 square metre ceiling per beneficiary family.
- Covers both fruit orchards — apple, plum, pear, persimmon — and hail-prone vegetables such as peas, cabbage, cauliflower, capsicum and tomato.
- Government fixes the material rate in advance for two net categories, so the subsidy is not left to guesswork or a vendor's quote.
- Farmers growing both fruit and vegetables on the same holding can also claim under the scheme.
- The net cuts bird damage to fruit as well, a bonus beyond hail protection.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Bonafide farmer or horticulturist, permanent resident of Himachal Pradesh
- Land under horticulture or vegetable cultivation, in your own name or a valid tenancy
- Area claimed within the 5,000 square metre per-family ceiling
- Sanction obtained from the department before the net is purchased or installed
Not covered
- Nets purchased or installed before departmental sanction — no retrospective claim is paid
- Area beyond the 5,000 square metre ceiling per family
- Claims filed without the required Aadhaar and land documents
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Aadhaar card
- Land ownership or tenancy record
- Application in the prescribed format with a cost estimate
- Bank account details for the subsidy transfer
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Apply and get sanction before you buy anything
Submit the application with land papers and a cost estimate to the Horticulture Department, or through the eUdyan citizen services portal, and wait for sanction — buying the net first forfeits the subsidy.
- 2
Install the net within the sanctioned area
Once approved, put up the net — Knitted & Raschel or Woven & Leno, at the notified rate — within the sanctioned area, and keep the bill.
- 3
Inspection and subsidy release
Department officials verify the installed net against the sanctioned area and cost, then release the 80% subsidy to your bank account.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- For a stuck application, a disputed sanction, or a delayed subsidy release, first contact your Horticulture Development Officer or the district Horticulture office.
- If unresolved, escalate through eSamadhan, Himachal Pradesh's online public grievance monitoring system, at esamadhan.nic.in, or call the CM Helpline on 1100 (CM Sewa Sankalp) to register a grievance directly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy the net first and claim the subsidy later?
No. Sanction has to come before you purchase or install the net — buying first forfeits the claim. Budget is limited each year, so always confirm sanction first.
Is this the same as the fencing subsidy for keeping out wild animals?
No. That is a separate scheme — Mukhyamantri Krishi Utpadan Sanrakshan Yojana (Badhbandi), for solar, chain-link and barbed-wire fencing against wildlife. This scheme is specifically for hail-protection netting over fruit and vegetable crops.
How much area can one family cover under this scheme?
Up to 5,000 square metres per beneficiary family at 80% subsidy. Any area installed beyond that ceiling is at the farmer's own cost.
Which areas of Himachal actually use this scheme most?
Shimla district's apple belt — Rohru, Narkanda, Rampur, Jubbal, Kotkhai-Theog, Kotgarh and Chopal — where sudden hailstorms are a recurring threat to standing orchards.
I heard this scheme was scrapped. Is it still running?
The net component was dropped from the bundled Krishi Utpadan Sanrakshan (fencing) scheme in 2024, which drew political criticism, but the Horticulture Department's own anti-hail net assistance continued and actually grew — it utilised ₹19.42 crore reaching 2,737 farmers in FY2024-25 alone. Confirm the current sanction status with your Horticulture office before assuming either way.
Facts checked against eudyan.hp.gov.in on 8 September 2026. editorial policy.