Umaisar Gull Ganie
Qazigund, Feb 29: The Kashmir Valley annually export 5701 metric tonnes of milk to various states of India through the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which is four times higher compared to the previous year, official figures have revealed.
According to official figures from LSCP-Zig Wangund, Qazigund, accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), in eleven months, the valley has exported 5701 metric tonnes of milk to outside Kashmir in 319 milk-laden vehicles through the Jammu Srinagar national highway.
“During 2022-23, 1569.71 metric tonnes of milk were exported in 88 milk-laden vehicles through the highway. This increased fourfold to 5701.4 metric tonnes in eleven months of 2023-2024 through 319 milk vehicles,” the figures reveal.
An official told KNO that the government has taken a significant step towards boosting the agriculture and allied sectors with the launch of the Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) and Dairy Development Scheme (IDDS). He said that the Integrated Dairy Development Scheme (IDDS) has played a major role in the sector by providing support in terms of incentives/subsidies for various activities such as the establishment of dairy units (5 cows/buffaloes per unit; maximum 10 units), establishment of milk collection/chilling/processing units, establishment of market infrastructure including milk ATMs, and establishment of milk transportation systems. He said once the Kashmir Valley was dependent on milk being imported from outside, now the sector has grown, and it exports a huge quantity of milk to various states of the country.
He said dairy farming serves as a major source of livelihood for numerous rural families and is currently experiencing rapid growth.
It possesses immense potential for bolstering the economy of the Union Territory, offering employment opportunities, and enhancing the well-being of the local population, he added.
“The dairy industry is being promoted, with the trend of dairy farming increasing over the past few years. Educated youth are also joining this industry. We expect a much higher increase in the export rate in the coming years,” the official added—(KNO)
