Sheep, Goat & Pashmina Rearing Unit Subsidy
Capital subsidy to set up sheep, goat and Pashmina goat rearing units — 75% on a foundation flock, shed or shearing machine, up to 90% on a Pashmina kid pen — to rebuild Ladakh's flocks after years of decline.
Run by: Department of Sheep Husbandry, UT Ladakh
- Livestock unit (5F+1M / 9F+1M)
- 75% subsidy
- Kid pen / shed
- Up to 90% subsidy
- Shed, fencing, shearing machine
- 75% subsidy
- Minimum holding (most components)
- 30 sheep/goats
Overview
This is the older, asset-side half of Ladakh's Pashmina support — not a cash incentive on wool sold, but a capital subsidy to help a family actually own more, and better-protected, animals. The centrepiece is the livestock unit: a foundation flock of either 5 females plus 1 male, or 9 females plus 1 male, of Pashmina goats, dairy goats or Merino sheep, released to the beneficiary at 75% subsidy with the remaining 25% paid by the rearer.
Around that core sit half a dozen linked components run by the Sheep Husbandry Department: livestock sheds and chain-link/electric fencing at 75% subsidy for holdings of 30 or more animals, a wool shearing machine and a spinning unit at 75% for the same threshold, and a 2-tonne bio-fertiliser plant at 75% for community rearers with 50-plus animals. The highest subsidy rate — 90% — goes to kid pens/sheds that shelter young Pashmina goats from hypothermia and predators over winter, and to milk replacer for hand-rearing kids in Leh's Changthang belt.
Allocation for kid pens scales with herd size — one unit for 200–300 animals, two for 300–500, three above 500 — so it is aimed at herders with a real flock to protect, not a token gesture. A related Rarzi scheme pays a 90%-subsidised ₹10,000/month honorarium (via DBT) to a temporary herder hired for up to six months where a flock is too large for one family to manage alone.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- 75% subsidy on a foundation livestock unit — 5 females + 1 male, or 9 females + 1 male — of Pashmina goats, dairy goats or Merino sheep, with 25% beneficiary share.
- Up to 90% subsidy on a kid pen/shed protecting Pashmina kids from cold and predators, scaled to herd size (1 unit up to 300 animals, 2 up to 500, 3 above that).
- 75% subsidy on a livestock shed, chain-link or electric fencing, a wool shearing machine and a spinning unit for value-added wool at home.
- 90% subsidised milk replacer for hand-rearing kids in the Changthang Pashmina belt, cutting kid mortality from milk shortage.
- 75% subsidy on a 2-tonne bio-fertiliser plant for community rearers with 50-plus sheep/goats, turning dung into a saleable input.
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
- Resident sheep/goat/Pashmina goat rearer in Ladakh, mainly Leh and Kargil districts
- Minimum holding of 30 sheep/goats for the shed, fencing, shearing-machine and spinning-unit components
- Minimum holding of 50 animals for the community bio-fertiliser plant
- Willingness to pay the beneficiary share — 25% for most components, 10% for the kid pen and milk replacer
- Identification and approval through the departmental officer, with concurrence of the local Councillor/block administration
Not covered
- Holdings below the notified minimum size for a given component
- Units, sheds or machines purchased/built before departmental sanction
- Applicants who cannot pay their share of the cost upfront or against reimbursement
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Aadhaar card
- Ladakh residence proof
- Proof of existing livestock holding (herd size)
- Bank passbook for DBT/subsidy transfer
- Recommendation from the local Councillor or block office
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Register your holding with the Sheep Husbandry Department
Approach the Department of Sheep Husbandry office in Leh or Kargil, or your local Councillor/block administration, and get your flock size recorded — most components have a minimum-holding threshold.
- 2
Apply for the specific component
Identify which component fits — livestock unit, shed, fencing, shearing machine, spinning unit, kid pen or bio-fertiliser plant — and apply through the departmental officer for that district.
- 3
Sanction, then purchase/construction against your share
Once sanctioned, the unit or infrastructure is set up with the department's subsidy share paid against your own contribution (25% for most items, 10% for the kid pen and milk replacer).
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- Issues with sanction or subsidy release should first be raised with the Department of Sheep Husbandry office in Leh or Kargil, or your local Councillor/block administration.
- If unresolved, escalate to Ladakh's Integrated Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System — call 8588816003, WhatsApp 9541786450, or use the portal at grievance.ladakh.gov.in.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the 5F+1M and 9F+1M livestock units?
Both are foundation-flock sizes offered at 75% subsidy — 5 females + 1 male is the smaller unit, 9 females + 1 male the larger one. Which you get depends on your existing holding and what the department sanctions for your case.
Is this the same as the 25% top-up on Pashmina sales?
No. This is a capital subsidy to help you set up or expand a rearing unit, shed, kid pen or equipment. The 25% top-up on the value of Pashmina you actually sell is a separate, newer scheme — see the Pashmina Livestock Development Incentive Programme.
I have fewer than 30 animals. Can I still get help?
The shed, fencing, shearing-machine and spinning-unit subsidies need a minimum holding of 30 sheep/goats, and the community bio-fertiliser plant needs 50. Smaller rearers should ask the department about the livestock-unit and kid-pen components, which are not tied to that threshold in the same way.
I heard about an Integrated Wool Development Programme (IWDP) in Zanskar — is that part of this scheme?
It's a related but separate initiative run by the Sheep Husbandry Department in Kargil district, focused on wool development in the Zanskar valley. Ask your local departmental office whether it overlaps with any component here for your area.
Facts checked against ladakh.gov.in on 8 September 2026. editorial policy.