Srinagar, Feb 7: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday said it is implementing a series of scientific and planned measures to enhance livestock productivity and move towards self-sufficiency in animal-origin foods, particularly mutton, which remains in short supply in the Union Territory.
Informing the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, the government said high-yielding and improved breeds of sheep, goats, cattle and poultry are being introduced and propagated through the Department of Animal and Sheep Husbandry.
In a written reply to a question raised by MLA Javaid Riyaz, furnished on behalf of the Minister in charge Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, the department said that high mutton-producing breeds such as Texel, Dorper, Romanov, Swiss Alpine, Finn sheep and Boer goats are being integrated into government breeding farms across J&K.
The government acknowledged a significant gap between demand and local production of key animal products. While J&K produces about 28.75 lakh metric tonnes of milk annually, mutton production stands at around 380 lakh kilograms, leaving a deficit of nearly 200 lakh kilograms. This shortfall has resulted in heavy dependence on imports from other states, prompting focused efforts on genetic upgradation and productivity enhancement to achieve self-sufficiency and generate livelihood opportunities.
As part of these efforts, the department said 450 Australian Merino sheep were imported in 2020 for genetic improvement of wool and meat. Additionally, 900 Dorper and Texel sheep imported from South Africa and Holland are being maintained for scientific breeding programmes.
To boost milk production, the government said breeding infrastructure is being upgraded, including the proposed import of 40 high genetic-merit bulls through the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and 100 Jersey cows through SKUAST-Kashmir.
The department further said improved poultry varieties such as Vanaraj, Lohmann Brown, Black Australorp and Sussex have been introduced under the Integrated Poultry Development Programme, based on their suitability to local agro-climatic conditions.
