SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 27: At a time when white revolution isgaining momentum across India, Jammu and Kashmir Government is taking allpossible measures to keep the pace—producing 70 lakh litres of milk per day,besides strengthening the public private partnerships.

Principal Secretary, Transport, Animal and Sheep HusbandryDepartments, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon today after conducting a day-long PublicGrievance Camp in Srinagar revealed that Jammu and Kashmir Government with thehelp of farmers and dairy units was successful to produce 70 lakh litres ofmilk per day. He said Kashmir alone produces 40 lakh while as Jammu produces 30lakh litres, respectively.

“White revolution is becoming popular and we are alsomarching on the path. We are doing our best to achieve the target and rope inthousands of successful farmers across Jammu and Kashmir,” Samoon said. “InJammu and Kashmir thousands of farmers and budding entrepreneurs have beenhugely benefited from the dairy farming and we are encouraging more youth tojoin the sector,” he said, adding "South Kashmir produces milk inbulk."

While demand for dairy produce across the country isgrowing, the price of milk across Jammu and Kashmir is also picking up.

“There has been lot of challenges in this sector. We areworking out on all the modalities and trying to prepare a roadmap to help thedairy farmers and other associated with this sector,” Samoon said.

The Principal Secretary informed that as per the 20thLivestock Census conducted in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir has a livestockpopulation of 82 lakh. He said Milk Production as per ISS data 2018-19 is 2541TMT. “For improving milk production and productivity in Jammu and Kashmir, theDepartment is looking at various interventions including genetic up-gradationof Cattle, Cattle Induction, Fodder Development, Milk Procurement andProcessing and Health Cover and Risk Management,” he said.

Dr Samoon informed that Department of Animal Husbandry andDairying, Government of India has agreed to distribute 15000 Dairy Units of twocows each as a special package for Jammu and Kashmir under the DairyEntrepreneurship Development Scheme (DEDS) as a beneficiary oriented schemefinanced by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)through commercial banks.

Dr Samoon said that in order to make milk productionprofitable for farmers, there was need for establishing Cooperatives to supplyit directly to consumers.

“It is easy to produce milk in the Kashmir’s green land, butvery difficult to find market. We are working out all the modalities to find asuitable market for the farmers and dairy unit holders,” he said.

He said that dairy-farming has a potential to generate jobsfor thousands of unemployed youth in Jammu and Kashmir. “Government’s priorityis to promote local milk-processing units,” he said.

Dr Samoon informed that the Milk Production Expansion Planproposal of the Jammu and Kashmir Milk producers Cooperative Limited (JKMPCL)for raising capacity of JKMPCL from 50,000 LPD of milk production to 2.5  LakhLPD in the next three years was also discussed during the meeting.

He said that Jammu and Kashmir Government was focused toreview the poultry and dairy sector, informing that the modalities for baselinesurvey by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and implementation of theSpecial Package for dairy development projects have been recently reviewedthreadbare.

Notably the Government recently initiated the process forsetting up of J&K Mission for Dairy Development with a full time MissionDirector and supporting staff.