J&K Marching Towards Dairy Revolution: Govt

J&K Government has formulated attractive schemes to improve the dairy sector in Jammu and Kashmir which is directly proportional to improving the socio-economic condition of people, an official spokesperson said Tuesday.

With an aim of Doubling Farmer’s income from dairying, he said, the Administration is working tirelessly to ensure utmost priority is being extended to dairy development in the union territory by way of implementing various developmental schemes, initiatives, policies, among others.

Integrated dairy development scheme (IDDS) is another scheme which not only focuses on providing financial assistance, but also supporting the dairy producer by providing milking machine, bulk milk cooling unit at 50% subsidy. The scheme also provides paneer making machine, khoya making, dahi making, cream separator, ice cream making machine, butter and ghee making machine, milk van, milk ATM and DG Set, to aspiring entrepreneurs who try to create their start-ups in dairy sector.

With the implementation of prestigious flag-ship schemes, viz., Rashtriya Gokul Mission,

IDDS, Dairy Development Scheme (DDS), Feed & Fodder Development Scheme (F&FDS), Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund, Extension of Kisan Credit Card facility to animal husbandry farmers, Establishment of cluster model milk villages under Tribal Sub Plan, etc, dairying with high yielding crossbred cattle is receiving an upgrade which has created employment avenues, led to entrepreneurship development and thereby generated ample scope for developing the dairy farming on commercial lines as a business enterprise.

It is because of these schemes milk production in the Valley has grown over 250% during the last two decades and now there are more than 50,000 successful operational commercial dairy units in the valley. Despite the current urban growth, the dairy sector contributes to the maintenance of safe, resilient and sustainable rural areas.

From selling dry fruits in a small shop and struggling to meet his family’s needs to running a dairy farm that sells around 200 litres of milk per day, Manzoor Ahmed from Bankoot Ramban district has come a long way as an entrepreneur.