Shimla: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Kinnaur District Cooperative Marketing and Consumer Federation Ltd. (KINFED) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Shimla for the local procurement and supply of Pahadi sheep and goat meat to ITBP personnel, officials said.
Initial scale and projected value
According to the officials who reported the signing, the cooperative sector is expected to fulfil about 10 per cent of ITBP's total meat requirement in the first phase. That share is estimated to generate roughly ₹90 lakh annually for the local cooperative ecosystem. The MoU envisages scaling up procurement progressively; if the cooperative sector eventually meets the ITBP's entire meat requirement, the annual economic value could rise to approximately ₹9 crore, the statement said.
- Parties to the MoU: ITBP and KINFED.
- Initial expected share: 10% of ITBP's meat needs—≈ ₹90 lakh annually.
- Potential full-scale value: up to ₹9 crore per year if procurement is expanded.
Welfare and local livelihoods
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was present at the event in Shimla. He described the initiative as a step towards strengthening both the welfare of ITBP personnel deployed in remote areas and the livelihoods of livestock rearers in border villages. The Chief Minister said the arrangement would ensure the regular supply of safe, quality and hygienically processed sheep and goat meat for ITBP deployments, while providing an institutional market for local producers through the cooperative channel.
"The MoU would ensure regular availability of safe, quality and hygienically processed sheep and goat meat for ITBP personnel deployed in remote and border areas. At the same time, it would provide a dependable institutional market for local livestock producers through the cooperative sector," the Chief Minister said.
Officials reported that the scheme is intended not only to supply meat but also to create reliable economic linkages between the security force and communities along the northern border. The government view, as stated at the event, is that the arrangement will boost economic activity and strengthen local livelihoods in the hill and border areas.
Expansion beyond meat and stakeholders
The MoU is described as a platform for broader local procurement. The officials said procurement could be expanded in phases to include other hill products such as eggs, poultry, fresh vegetables, trout and additional locally produced items found suitable for supply to ITBP units.
| Item | Initial plan | Possible expansion |
|---|---|---|
| Pahadi sheep & goat meat | Supply to meet ~10% of ITBP needs (≈ ₹90 lakh/year) | Potential to meet 100% (≈ ₹9 crore/year) |
| Other local produce | Not in first phase | Eggs, poultry, vegetables, trout (phased inclusion) |
Inspector General, Northern Frontier, ITBP Manu Maharaaj said the force remained committed to the welfare of its personnel and to building a strong partnership with communities in the northern border landscape. Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi, DIG Shimla ITBP Ravi and office-bearers of KINFED were also present, the officials reported.
Officials framed the agreement as mutually beneficial: it secures a dependable institutional buyer for small livestock rearers and cooperatives in Kinnaur and other hill areas, while giving the ITBP access to locally produced, hygienically processed meat for troops deployed in remote posts. The MoU will be implemented and expanded in phases, with further operational details to be worked out by the signatory agencies and the cooperative federation.
