SRINAGAR: J&K Government is making reformative interventions to bring new dawn of White Revolution across Jammu and Kashmir, besides creating better livelihood opportunities for farmers and those associated with dairy production.
With an aim of Doubling Farmers’ income from dairying, the Administration is working tirelessly to ensure utmost priority is being extended to dairy development in the union territory by way of implementing various developmental schemes, initiatives, policies, among others.
Integrated dairy development scheme (IDDS) is a major scheme which not only focuses on providing financial assistance, but also supports the dairy producer by providing milking machine, bulk milk cooling unit at 50% subsidy as well as other benefits. The scheme also provides paneer making machine, khoya making, dahi making, cream separator, ice cream making machine, butter and ghee making machine, milk van, milk ATM and DG Set, to aspiring entrepreneurs who try to create their start-ups in dairy sector.
One of the dairy farming entrepreneur, Sartaj Ahmed of Kulgam is grateful of Government for providing needful subsidy and other help for establishing dairy farm under Integrated Dairy Development Scheme (IDDS).
“I sell milk in the locality. I am grateful to the Government for providing me the employment and supporting me to do something big on my own”, Sartaj said.
Similarly, Irshad Ahmad of Mattan, Anantnag says IDDS launched by the Government helped youth like him to not only become independent but to provide employment to others also.
“I started this dairy farm two years before. I am satisfied with the returns of the dairy farm and thankful to the Government for providing us avenue of employment,” Irshad said.
Dairy-farming has a great potential to generate huge employment in the UT and can contribute massively in the socio-economic transformation of the farming community.
J&K Government is working on multi-pronged strategy to increase milk production and double the Dairy farmers’ income. Big players like AMUL, in collaborative efforts with the Government has a major role to play in the promotion and growth of milk production and other related activities in the UT.
To increase the production, government has started several schemes like dairy entrepreneurship development scheme (DEDS) which focuses on setting up small dairy farms. Under this scheme, 15000 dairy units of two cows each will be distributed as a special package for Jammu and Kashmir.
Government is also working on cooperatives as it helps to make milk production profitable with Jammu and Kashmir milk producers cooperative limited (JKMPCL) also working to raise the capacity from 50,000 LPD of milk production to 3 lakh LPD.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha recently visited AMUL Plant at Anand District, Gujarat to have a first-hand appraisal of the facilities being put up for the milk production, processing and other related products.
He discussed the modalities for promoting milk production and increasing its capacity in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, with active involvement of various stakeholders like AMUL.