SRINAGAR, JAN 23: The demand for mutton and poultry is surging in Jammu and Kashmir, driven by the region’s status as a meat-consuming Union Territory.
An official said that the mutton and livestock market in Jammu and Kashmir thrives with an impressive annual business turnover of around Rs 15,000 crore. As per official records, there is a consistent increase as livestock imports are around Rs 2,500 crore.
“There is a huge demand for mutton and poultry resulting in the government is not able to regulate the mutton prices in the valley. There is a shortfall in local production which is met by imports. Jammu and Kashmir is a meat-consuming Union Territory where people spend thousands on consumption of mutton and poultry,” the official said.
The discussion surrounding mutton costs has been going on for a long time between the government and mutton traders. In the early 1990s, the government utilized the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act to address price stability, and more recently, shop closures were implemented for the same purpose.
Similarly, to meet the growing demand, the government as per the document, has started various schemes to give a fillip to local mutton production.
One such scheme is the Integrated Sheep Development Scheme (ISDS) 2020-21 while the J&K government launched the Integrated Sheep Development Program during 2020-21 under UT Capex with an aim to supplement mutton production & build entrepreneurship in the sector.
Under the scheme sheep/goat units are established in a participatory mode wherein livestock is given free of cost to the beneficiaries & thereafter the given livestock is retrieved in a phased manner over a period of 5 years from the beneficiary and utilized for the establishment of fresh units.
