Gujarat Pashudhan Bima Sahay Yojana 2026: Insure Animals up to Rs 40000 for Just Rs 229 Premium
Gujarat livestock owners can now insure their animals for up to Rs 40,000 for one year by paying a premium of only Rs 229 per animal. The state government has set a target of covering one lakh animals in 2026-27 under the Pashudhan Bima Sahay Yojana, the Livestock Insurance Assistance Scheme. State government spokesperson and Minister Jitu Vaghani announced the target in Gandhinagar on 4 November 2026, saying the scheme is designed to protect livestock-rearing families from the sudden financial shock of losing an animal.
The premium structure is what makes the scheme affordable for small farmers. The government provides premium assistance of Rs 1,300 per animal, which accounts for 85 per cent of the total premium, while the livestock owner pays the remaining Rs 229. The full premium therefore comes to about Rs 1,529 per animal. The scheme is implemented in Gujarat under the Centre’s National Livestock Mission, whose livestock insurance component works on a flat 15 per cent beneficiary share across the country. For 2026-27, the Centre has approved an allocation of Rs 250 lakh for Gujarat under the scheme, of which Rs 115 lakh has already been released as the first instalment.
The cover is limited per family so that the benefit spreads widely. Each family can insure a maximum of 10 large animals or 100 small animals under the scheme. The eligible large animals include cows, buffaloes, horses, donkeys, camels, bulls, bullocks and male buffaloes. Applications are being received through the i-Khedut portal, and the government has said that applications for insurance coverage for 87,147 animals have already been received through the portal. With the target set at one lakh animals, livestock owners who want cover under this year’s round should apply promptly rather than waiting, since no separate closing date was announced in the reports of the announcement.
For farming families, livestock is not a side asset but a core source of income. A milch cow or buffalo provides daily milk income, while draught and pack animals support farm work and transport. When an animal dies suddenly, the family loses both the animal and the income it produced, and replacing it at full market price is often beyond reach. Insurance cover of up to Rs 40,000 for a year gives such families a financial cushion at a cost of Rs 229 per animal, which is less than the price of a day’s feed for many animals. That protection is the reason the government has pushed the scheme through the i-Khedut portal, which farmers in Gujarat already use for agriculture-related applications.
Livestock owners in Gujarat can apply through the i-Khedut portal or through their local Animal Husbandry Department office. The Centre launched the Pashudhan Bima Portal on 28 September 2026, which supports the insurance process under the National Livestock Mission. Applicants should check the portal or their local office for the exact animal details and documents needed for their application, and confirm the sum insured applicable to their animal before completing the form, since cover is stated as up to Rs 40,000. The scheme is a practical safety net for Gujarat’s cattle rearers and small farmers, and it shows how a modest premium, shared mostly by the government, can protect the rural household’s most valuable working asset.
