SRINAGAR: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, on Tuesday jointly reviewed the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries sectors in the Union Territory. The sectors contribute Rs 12,634 crore to JK’s Gross Domestic Product, accounting for 6.25 percent of the total. The two leaders also virtually inaugurated a 50,000 litres per day Ultra High Temperature (UHT) Milk Plant at Satwari, Jammu.
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The meeting, held at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, was attended by senior officials from the central and UT governments, including Minister for Agriculture Production and Panchayati Raj Javid Ahmad Dar, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, senior officers from the Union Ministry, and Vice Chancellors of SKUAST-K and SKUAST-J.
In his address, the Union Minister called for joint efforts to convert sectoral potential into outcomes and assured full central support. He stressed the importance of shifting dairy operations from the unorganised to the organised sector through cooperatives and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). Citing successful dairy cooperatives in Varanasi, he urged the J&K administration to adopt similar models. He also announced plans to organise an Exporters’ Conference and a Private Sector Investment Conference in JK.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah emphasised the need to focus on traditional sectors like agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and tourism, stating that large industries have not always yielded sustainable results in the region. He highlighted that although JK produces 90 percent of India’s trout, the sector lacks organised processing and value addition. He also noted the high per capita meat consumption in J&K, much of which is sourced from outside the region. The Chief Minister said that self-sufficiency in meat and dairy could significantly improve incomes and reduce imports. He assured revival of the dairy cooperative sector and linkage of milk producers with formal processing networks.
A presentation by Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Shailendra Kumar, outlined sectoral achievements. JK’s livestock population includes 24.54 lakh cattle, 31 lakh sheep, 15 lakh goats, and 73 lakh backyard poultry, with annual milk production recorded at 2,875 TMT.
Under the National Livestock Mission, 2.9 lakh animals were insured, and Artificial Insemination centres were established for sheep. The Livestock Health and Disease Control programme facilitated 96 lakh vaccinations, while the Rashtriya Gokul Mission expanded AI services and trained over 1,500 MAITRIs. Under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), nearly 80,000 individuals benefitted through support for aquaculture, ornamental fisheries, and Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) units.
The National Programme for Dairy Development is targeting a Rs 500 crore turnover for JKMPCL by 2025–26, with two new milk plants being established at a combined cost of Rs 258.10 crore. So far, over 11.33 lakh Kisan Credit Cards have been issued, including 2.46 lakh for the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries sectors. The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) has achieved a 73 percent sanction rate, facilitating private investment in dairy and poultry infrastructure.
The Rs 5,013 crore Holistic Agriculture Development Programme includes Rs 1,364 crore earmarked for livestock and fisheries, with a focus on achieving self-sufficiency in milk, mutton, and eggs. More than 1,800 Pashu Sakhis have been deployed, and 500 hydroponic fodder units are being set up to meet green fodder needs.
Digitisation efforts are underway through platforms such as the Kisan Sathi Portal, Daksh Kisan Learning Management System, and the Output Tracking App. Over 2,000 Kisan Khidmat Ghars are being established to provide agricultural services at the grassroots level.
The departments’ reform efforts have received national recognition, including the SKOCH Gold Award, the Innovation Leadership Award, and the Best Union Territory in Fisheries Award for 2024.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment by the Centre and UT Government to strengthen cooperatives, improve infrastructure, and support youth-led entrepreneurship in the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries sectors.