Srinagar Aug 30: In July 2020 when the Integrated Dairy Development Scheme was started, Asiya Jan, a 22-year-old girl from South Kashmir’s Shopian district learnt about this from a friend. She discussed it with her father and decided to set up her own dairy farm.
They visited the Chief Animal Husbandry Office in Shopian district and completed all formalities for setting up a dairy farm. In December 2020, they purchased five Holstein Friesan (HF) cows from Punjab for over four lakh rupees for which the government gave them a subsidy of two lakh rupees.
And, since then, Asiya along with her parents has been running the dairy and earning around Rs 70,000 monthly.
“We also bought a milking machine which cost around Rs 50,000 for which the government gave a 50 per cent subsidy under the scheme. We have also built a cow shed for rearing the animals near their home,” she said, who has completed her graduation.
Shahid Ahmad from Pulwama also started two units of dairy farming with five cows in each which he bought in 2021.
“For each unit, we got a subsidy of Rs 1.75 lakh. We produce up to two hundred litres of milk a day that we sell to dealers,” the 25-year-old said. The family has also begun home delivery of milk for which they have hired a person and selling milk at Rs 45 a litre.
“We earn 10,000 thousand rupees a day. We spend about five thousand rupees a day on the feed and on paying our three employees and make over a lakh profit a month,” he said, adding, “There are so many schemes available through which young people can earn. Dairy farming gives good returns.”
He said that young people should become job givers rather than job takers.
Apart from supporting rural residents in buying cattle to set up their dairy farms, this scheme also supports the dairy producer by providing a milking machine, a cheese-making machine, and mechanised help in the form of a khoya-making machine, a dahi maker, cream separator, ice cream maker, butter and ghee making machine, a milk van and a milk ATM at 50 per cent subsidy.
Being an agrarian region, the agriculture sector, according to figures from the Animal Husbandry Department, contributes 16.18 per cent to J&K’s GDP, of which 35 per cent is contributed by the dairy sector. A vast population living in rural areas relies on dairy and livestock for its livelihood.
Data provided by the Animal Husbandry Department reveals that Kashmir produces 4,000,000 litres of milk per day. Therefore, improving the position of the dairy sector in Kashmir is directly proportional to improving the socio-economic condition of people.
Dairy farming gets a fillip in J&K, educated youth start their own units
