Welcoming the community-based livestock insurance scheme, nearly 40 farmers from Nangkor Gewog in Zhemgang registered for the strategy. The pilot insurance scheme will provide monetary compensation to the farmers for livestock predation by tigers. It was launched on Friday coinciding with Global Tiger Day.
Observing the Global Tiger Day in Buli, some 196 cattle were insured with many more to follow suit within the next few days.
Cattle depredation by wild predators, especially tigers, has been a pressing issue in Nangkor Gewog for decades. It has caused a significant loss of economy to the farmers of Tseldang, Kikhar and Dhuenmang villages.
“I insured six of my cows and paid Nu 200 each. Before, we did not get anything even though we lost a huge number of cattle,” said Sonam Wangdi, a farmer from Tseldang village.
“Our village falls under the corridor of tigers. We are hopeful that the scheme will benefit in the long run. Every year, we lose a minimum of five to ten cows to the predator,” said Tshering Wangchuk, another farmer from the same village.
“If a tiger kills our cows, we are supposed to get Nu 4,000 to 5,000 for each cow. But if the cow dies a natural death then we will get 2,000 Ngultrum as per the committee’s resolution,” said Nim Gyeltshen, a farmer.
A Gewog Tiger Conservation Tshogpa or Association, chaired by a Gup will facilitate the affected farmers for the compensation. And for this, farmers will have to ensure their cattle with the association.
A Standard Operation Procedure was also launched for the farmers to follow the reporting system efficiently.
“For this, we have formed two groups, one for management and another one for monitoring and reporting the incidents. From there, we will begin our investigations to confirm whether the depredation is done by the tigers or not. If the predation is done by the tigers on the insured cattle, we will pay 4,000 Ngultrum as compensation from the scheme,” said Senior Forestry Officer, Phub Dorji.
The agriculture ministry handed over seed money of Nu 1 M to the Nangkor Gewog Tiger conservation Tshogpa.
Pema Samdrup, Zhemgang
Edited by Sonam Pem
