The Rajasthan government runs a scheme called the Kantedar Tarbandi Yojana — which translates simply as the Barbed Wire Fencing Scheme. It was launched in July 2017 by the state’s Agriculture Department, and its purpose is straightforward: help small and marginal farmers put a proper fence around their fields so that stray animals cannot get in and destroy their crops. Under this scheme, the government covers 50 percent of the total cost of putting up a barbed wire fence around your farmland. The maximum amount you can receive is Rs 40,000, and that covers fencing up to 400 running metres of boundary.
So if fencing your entire field costs Rs 60,000, the government pays Rs 30,000 and you pay the rest. If it costs Rs 80,000 or more, the government’s share is capped at Rs 40,000 — but that is still a significant amount of money for a small farmer.The logic is simple. A proper fence is a one-time investment that protects your crop season after season. Without it, you are gambling every harvest against the movement of animals you have no control over.
Who Can Apply and What Documents Do You Need?
The scheme has different eligibility conditions depending on whether you are applying alone or as part of a group.
If you are applying as an individual farmer, you need at least 1.5 hectares of agricultural land in a single contiguous location. If your land falls in a Scheduled Tribe area, the minimum requirement drops to just 0.5 hectares — making the scheme more accessible in tribal regions of Rajasthan. For farmers who want to apply together as a group, at least 10 farmers need to come together with a combined landholding of more than 5 hectares.
The paperwork is fairly minimal. You will need your Aadhaar card, your Jan Aadhaar card, a copy of your Jamabandi — your land ownership record — not older than six months, and your bank account passbook. That is it. No long list of certificates or approvals needed upfront.
How to Apply
You can apply either online through the RajKisan portal or by walking into your nearest e-Mitra centre if you are not comfortable filling out forms on a computer. Both routes work equally well. If you are applying online, go to the RajKisan Saathi portal, log in and click on the RAJ-KISAN option. Under the Farmer section, select Application Entry Request. Enter your Bhamashah ID or Janaadhaar ID and search for your details. Select your name and the scheme name, complete the Aadhaar authentication, fill in your bank details and other required information, upload your documents and hit submit. You will receive an online receipt confirming your application has gone through.
If this feels like too many steps, the e-Mitra centre is the easier option. Just carry your documents and the person at the counter will handle the rest.
Why This Scheme Deserves More Attention
Most government farming schemes focus on seeds, fertilisers, or loans. This one focuses on something more fundamental — protecting what you have already grown.
A farmer can have the best seeds, the right amount of water, and a good monsoon — and still lose everything in two nights because a herd of nilgai found its way into the field. It happens across Rajasthan every year, and it hits hardest the farmers who can least afford the loss.
A barbed wire fence is not glamorous. It does not make headlines the way loan waivers do. But for a farmer who has spent four months tending a wheat crop, a fence is the difference between taking something to market and going home empty-handed. The government paying half the cost of that fence is genuinely useful support. The real problem is awareness — many eligible farmers in rural Rajasthan have simply never heard of this scheme.
