Poultry Farming Subsidy 2026: Government is giving bumper subsidy up to 50% on poultry farming, know eligibility and online application process.

To strengthen the rural economy and to connect farmers and unemployed youth with self-employment, the Central and State Governments are promoting animal husbandry and poultry farming on a large scale. Under the National Livestock Mission (NLM) of the Central Government and the poultry development policies of various states including Uttar Pradesh, direct subsidy up to 50 percent of the project cost is being given for opening a new poultry farm. The biggest advantage of this scheme is that farmers, young entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) can start commercial broiler (meat production) or layer (egg production) poultry farms by investing very little capital. Due to increasing demand and government support, poultry farming has emerged as the most profitable business along with agriculture in the year 2026.

Under the Rural Poultry Entrepreneurship Scheme of the National Livestock Mission (NLM), if an entrepreneur sets up a hatch, brooder and mother unit of at least 1,000 chicks (Parent Farm / Low Input Technology Birds), the government provides capital subsidy of 50 percent i.e. up to ₹ 25 lakh on the total project cost (up to a maximum of ₹ 50 lakh). This grant is released directly into the bank account of the beneficiary in two equal installments. At the same time, under the Poultry Development Policy of Uttar Pradesh Government, the general category beneficiaries are given interest subvention on bank loans as well as huge relaxation in setting up the unit, while women entrepreneurs, Scheduled Caste/Tribe (SC/ST) and applicants from North-Eastern and Hilly States are given special priority.

The cost and subsidy structure as per poultry farm capacity (number of birds) and type of unit can be understood in the table below:

To apply for Poultry Subsidy Scheme, it is mandatory for the applicant to be a permanent resident of India and his age should be above 18 years. The applicant should have his own land or registered lease land for at least 10 to 15 years for poultry farm construction. Also, the land should be at least 500 meters away from populated areas to comply with pollution control standards. While applying online, the applicant should have Aadhaar card, PAN card, land deed or lease agreement, Detailed Project Report (DPR), copy of bank passbook, passport size photograph, certificate of poultry training from Animal Husbandry Department or Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) and if from reserved category then caste certificate should be ready.

The entire application process for subsidy under the National Livestock Mission (NLM) scheme of the Central Government is online, so that transparency is maintained. Follow the steps given below to apply: First of all open the official NLM portal of Government of India nlm.udyamimitra.in in the browser of your mobile or computer. Click on ‘Apply Here’ / ‘Login as Entrepreneur’ option on the homepage and complete the registration through OTP by entering your mobile number. After login, select ‘Rural Poultry Entrepreneurship’ option in the list of schemes. Now enter your personal details, land area, unit capacity and select bank branch in the application form that opens. After this, upload the PDF copy of your Detailed Project Report (DPR), land documents and training certificate and submit the form. Your application will first be verified by the State Implementing Agency (SIA – Directorate of Animal Husbandry, Lucknow or the concerned State) and then once the loan is approved by the concerned bank, the first installment of subsidy will be released by the Central Government.

According to agriculture and animal husbandry experts, in broiler poultry farming, the chicks are ready for sale in just 35 to 42 days, due to which the investor starts getting cash returns every one and a half months. Whereas in layer farming, production of eggs provides regular income throughout the year. However, before starting poultry farming, it is very important to control the temperature of the shed, timely vaccination, arrangement of balanced poultry feed and making contact with the local wholesale market. Farmers can also contact the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) office of their district or the National Livestock Mission helpline for more information and assistance.