Arun Pig Development Scheme

What is the Arun Pig Development Scheme?

Arun Pig Development Scheme is a state piggery development scheme of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Dairy Development, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, taken up from the 2019-20 financial year. Its purpose is to expand pig rearing in the state by putting quality piglets into the hands of farmers who have built proper housing for them.

Pork is the dominant meat in Arunachal Pradesh, and the state has historically had to bring in a large share of its supply from outside. Arun Pig Development Scheme addresses that gap from the production side: instead of subsidising consumption, it builds household and small-enterprise level rearing capacity so that the animals are raised inside the state.

Arun Pig Development Scheme works on a 75:25 cost-sharing basis. The government contributes 75% of the unit and the beneficiary contributes 25%. Critically, the benefit is delivered in kind, not in cash, the district administration procures the piglets centrally and hands them over to selected farmers, which controls quality and prevents the money being diverted.

Main features

• 75% government share, 25% beneficiary share of the unit cost.
• Piglets procured by the district administration, not bought by the farmer.
• Piglets are handed over only after a suitable sty has been constructed and verified.
• Sty capacity begins at 5 piglets with room to expand by 15 more.
• 5 pig entrepreneurs per district receive a larger unit of 15 piglets, with a government share of Rs 1.5 lakh per unit.
• Reported coverage of 4,750 farmers receiving piggery support under the programme.

What exactly does a beneficiary receive?

Arun Pig Development Scheme runs at two levels.

At the household level, a selected farmer builds a sty designed for an initial 5 piglets with expansion room for 15 more, and receives the piglets from the district administration once the sty passes inspection. The government meets 75% of the unit cost.

At the entrepreneur level, five pig entrepreneurs are selected in each district and given a larger unit of 15 piglets, with a government share of Rs 1.5 lakh per unit. This tier is designed to create commercially scaled piggeries that can supply breeding stock and finished pigs to the surrounding farmers, rather than only feeding a single household.

Both tiers are in-kind support. A beneficiary who expects a bank transfer has misunderstood the scheme.

Who is eligible for the Arun Pig Development Scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are a permanent resident of Arunachal Pradesh.
• You are an individual farmer or a member of a Self Help Group engaged in pig rearing.
• You are identified and verified by the District Pig Development Committee, which is the selecting authority at district level.
• You can build a suitable sty and meet the 25% beneficiary contribution.

Priority within the eligible pool goes to women and to lower-income farmers, which is why a BPL card copy is accepted as supporting material even though it is not demanded from every applicant.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not a permanent resident of Arunachal Pradesh.
• You are not engaged in pig rearing and have no intention of maintaining the animals. The scheme is production support, not a giveaway.
• You cannot construct the sty or meet the 25% share. Piglets are not released without housing in place.
• You have not been selected by the District Pig Development Committee. Selection is a district decision; submitting a form does not by itself create an entitlement.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the Arun Pig Development Scheme

1. Contact the District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officer (DAHVO) for your district and ask whether beneficiary selection for the current year is open.
2. Obtain the prescribed application form from the DAHVO's office or the nearest veterinary dispensary or hospital.
3. Fill the form accurately; name, village and circle, existing livestock, and the sty you propose to build.
4. Attach the documents: Aadhaar or Voter ID, residence proof, photographs, and a BPL card copy or SHG proof if applicable.
5. Submit the file at the department office and collect an acknowledgement.
6. Wait for verification and selection by the District Pig Development Committee, which checks residence, pig rearing background and priority category.
7. Once selected, construct the sty to the size and specification the department advises, and inform the veterinary officer when it is ready.
8. Receive the piglets, which the district administration procures and hands over after inspecting the sty.

There is no online application route for Arun Pig Development Scheme. The department's site is ahvdd.arunachal.gov.in, and the operational channel is the DAHVO's office in your district.

How do I check the status of my application?

Follow up in person at the District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officer's office, quoting the acknowledgement you received on submission. The District Pig Development Committee finalises the beneficiary list for the year, and once that list is approved the DAHVO's office can tell you whether your name is on it.

Farmers in remote circles can also route enquiries through the veterinary officer or field assistant attached to their circle, who is the person who usually carries out the sty inspection and reports back to the district office.

Why are applications rejected or piglets withheld?

• Sty not built, or built to an unsuitable design. Piglets are handed over only after housing is confirmed, so this is the most common cause of a selected beneficiary not receiving animals.
• No proof of permanent residence in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Not selected by the District Pig Development Committee in a year where applications exceed the district's allocation.
• Inability to meet the 25% beneficiary contribution.
• No genuine pig rearing activity, found at verification.

An applicant who misses out in one year's district allocation can normally be considered in the next cycle. Ask the DAHVO to keep your file on record rather than starting afresh.

Care obligations after receiving the piglets

Beneficiaries are expected to maintain the animals rather than dispose of them immediately. Practically, that means keeping the sty clean and dry, following the deworming and vaccination schedule advised by the veterinary officer — classical swine fever is the disease that does the most damage to piggeries in the region, and reporting sickness or death of stock to the nearest veterinary dispensary. Field staff visit beneficiaries to check on the unit, and stock disposed of soon after handover can disqualify a household from future support.

Help and grievance redressal

• District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officer (DAHVO), the primary contact for forms, selection, sty inspection and piglet handover.
• Nearest veterinary dispensary or hospital for animal health, vaccination and disease reporting.
• Directorate of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Dairy Development, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar: ahvdd.arunachal.gov.in, for scheme-level grievances.

Arun Pig Development Scheme costs nothing to apply for. No official or agent may charge a fee for including a name in the beneficiary list, and the only money a beneficiary contributes is the 25% share towards the unit itself.