Over 450 farming families linked to an institutional market under the Farmer-to-ITBP initiative; expansion planned to four more districts
Dehradun: Uttarakhand has extended its agreement with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) by one year to continue procuring locally produced livestock, poultry and trout from farmers in the state’s remote border regions. The initiative aims to strengthen rural livelihoods, increase farmers’ incomes and help curb migration by providing a reliable institutional market for local produce.
The renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Thursday in the presence of Animal Husbandry Minister Saurabh Bahuguna. Secretary of the Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Department, B.V.R.C. Purushottam, and ITBP Inspector General Manu Maharaj signed the agreement for the respective organisations.
₹17.02 Crore Transferred Directly to Farmers
Under the Farmer-to-ITBP Integrated Local Supply Chain Initiative, locally produced food supplies are being procured for 14 ITBP battalions. The products include live sheep and goats, broiler poultry and trout fish.
According to official figures, supplies to ITBP have so far included:
- 3.56 lakh kg of live sheep and goats
- 2.40 lakh kg of live poultry
- 56,000 kg of trout fish
The initiative has connected more than 450 farming families, 42 primary cooperative societies and farmer-producer organisations with an institutional buyer.
A key feature of the arrangement is direct online payment to farmers’ bank accounts. The department said ₹17.02 crore has been transferred to farmers so far.
Procurement figures show purchases worth ₹1.66 crore in the financial year 2024–25, ₹10.02 crore in 2025–26 and ₹5.34 crore so far in 2026–27.
Focus on Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi and Chamoli
The initiative currently focuses on the border districts of Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi and Chamoli, where local farmers and livestock rearers supply food products to security personnel.
The state government has also requested ITBP to explore procurement from Bageshwar, Tehri, Almora and Rudraprayag. Bringing these districts into the supply chain could create additional sales opportunities for local producers.
Building on the ITBP arrangement, supplies of local produce have also begun for selected posts and establishments of the Indian Army and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), depending on their requirements.
‘Higher Incomes Can Help Curb Migration’: Saurabh Bahuguna
Animal Husbandry Minister Saurabh Bahuguna said the agreement was originally introduced two years ago to provide an institutional market to livestock rearers in remote and border areas of Uttarakhand.
He said the initiative seeks to improve rural incomes, strengthen employment opportunities and discourage migration from villages. According to the minister, Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to launch such an initiative.
Bahuguna said business worth approximately ₹17.5 crore had been generated through the ITBP arrangement over the past two years. He added that the government was seeking to expand procurement to four additional districts to bring more farmers and livestock rearers into the programme.
The minister also said Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh had adopted the initiative.
Expansion and Farmer Participation Key to Long-Term Impact
The one-year extension will allow the existing procurement arrangement to continue, offering participating farmers access to an institutional buyer. The programme’s broader impact will depend on expanding procurement to more districts, increasing farmer participation and maintaining transparent, timely payments.
For Uttarakhand’s remote regions, the initiative offers a route to connect traditional farming and livestock rearing with a more structured market. The coming year will be important in determining how far the supply network expands and how many additional farming families benefit.
