Jammu, March 28: The Integrated Sheep Development Scheme (ISDS) launched has achieved major strides in supplementing livestock production and building entrepreneurship in this sector across Jammu and Kashmir.
The scheme aims to promote the establishment of sheep and goat units in the union territory. Sheep sector makes a valuable contribution to the economically weaker sections of the society by their multifaceted utility of producing wool, meat, skin, manure etc.
Realizing this importance of sheep, many development activities including schemes for intensive sheep development in the J&K have been initiated. Under this scheme, financial assistance from the banks has been made available along with other incentives and subsidies.
ISDS is one of the schemes of Sheep Husbandry Department aimed at not only achieving breakthrough in wool and mutton production but also addressing the problems of unemployment across Jammu and Kashmir.
Under this scheme, for establishment of Sheep/Goat unit on participatory mode comprising of 25 ewes/does, Livestock is supplied free of cost. Retrieval of equivalent livestock from female progeny is carried out in phased manner from 3rd year. Any individual /group of individuals/self-help group/cooperative society/farmers producer organization is eligible to apply for the scheme.
Similarly for the establishment of Sheep/Goat units (25 Sheep/goat per unit), scheme provides 50% of the unit cost as total eligible subsidy with a ceiling of Rs 1.00 lac whichever is less per unit (25 sheep/goat) and a maximum subsidy ceiling of Rs 8.00 lac for 8 Sheep/Goat units (each unit comprising of 25 sheep/goats.). Any individual /group of individuals/self-help group/cooperative society/farmers producer organization is eligible for the scheme.
The scheme also has the provision of Procurement of Shearing units (Comprising of one shearing machine, one Genset& shearing accessories/spares), 50% of the unit cost as total eligible subsidy with a ceiling of Rs 75,000/unit whichever is less. Any individual (trained in MSS or intending to undergo training in MSS) is eligible for the scheme.
The scheme is majorly contributing towards achieving Prime Minister Modi’s vision of doubling farmers’ income as it augments the income of farmers that they generate by practising agriculture.
The Department also provides breeders with all kinds of assistance during disease outbreaks to minimize the loss. It is because of the help of the Sheep Husbandry Department that Sheep rearing has become one of the lucrative entrepreneurship choices in J&K.
Even after having enormous potential and a conducive environment for sheep and goat farming, Jammu and Kashmir was still facing a significant gap between demand and supply of mutton.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir’s Sheep Husbandry Department data, 594 sheep and goat units have been established under the scheme in the financial year 2021-22, providing employment to hundreds of people in the Union Territory.
As per the departmental statistics, under this scheme 69 units have been established in Anantnag, 93 in Baramulla, 65 in Bandipora, 60 in Budgam, 56 in Ganderbal, 58 in Kulgam, 77 in Kupwara, 47 in Pulwama, 43 in Shopian and 26 in Srinagar.
Similarly, 329 units were provided to the beneficiaries in the year 2021-22 in Jammu region by the Animal Husbandry Department under the Integrated Sheep Development Scheme. The structural changes and consolidation of different programmes for farm and non-farm population in the rural areas is nothing short of a revolution for rural J&K.
The UT has also redefined the agriculture and horticulture business in the country with expanded operations and a strong supply chain system, which had never happened in the last 70 years.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the first-ever “Vishal Pashudhan Vyapar Mela” at Sports Stadium, Hiranagar said that UT Administration will provide a major fillip to the Animal Husbandry sector with an additional source of income to the farmers. “It is an effort on the part of the government towards providing a single platform for sale/purchase of high-quality livestock breeds that will strengthen J&K’s Dairy sector, besides exploiting the full potential of J&K in milk, fodder & mutton production, to cut down imports and bridge the demand and supply gap in the poultry sector, and generating employment by attracting new entrepreneurs,” he said.
Recently Government of Jammu and Kashmir also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) for transforming the Sheep Farming Sector in the UT. The partnership between J&K and New Zealand will boost production & productivity in the livestock sector of the UT. The overarching objective of the MoC is to improve farmers’ remuneration, transfer of technology in research & development as well as marketing & value addition of sheep products of J&K. The Government is also creating enabling environment for the integrated growth of the livestock sector which is providing livelihood support to around 1.2 million families and contributing 5% to the Union Territory’s GDP.
