JAMMU: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today reviewed a series of proposals presented by the Agriculture Production Department aimed at enhancing the production of wool, milk and meat in Jammu and Kashmir through value chain strengthening, genetic upgradation and expansion of processing infrastructure.
The meeting, besides ACS, APD was attended by VC, SKUAST Jammu; Commissioner Secretary, I&C; Commissioner Secretary, Cooperatives; Commissioner Secretary, S&T; Commissioner Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department; MD, HADP; Director, Animal Husbandry/Sheep Husbandry; Director, Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir/Jammu and other HoDs of the APD.
The meeting first reviewed the PAAVAN (Processing, Aggregation and Value Addition Network for Wool) project, which seeks to revive and modernise the wool sector in J&K through a federation-driven institutional framework.
Under the proposed model, a three-tier cooperative structure comprising Block Cooperative Societies, District Cooperative Societies and a UT-level Wool Federation will be established to facilitate aggregation, grading, processing and marketing of wool. The project also envisages the establishment of two wool processing and value-addition units at Jammu and Srinagar, creation of a revolving fund for assured procurement of wool from farmers, and leveraging of infrastructure created under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) to promote this sector in J&K.
It was given out in the meeting that the region contributes around 21 per cent of India’s total wool production, making it the second largest wool-producing region in the country, thereby having an immense potential to give this sector the necessary push to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for the population and give a boost to our economy.
The Chief Secretary was also briefed on the J&K Elite Sheep Mission based on Embryo Transfer Technology (ETT/MOET), aimed at accelerating genetic improvement in sheep and goats.
The programme targets rapid multiplication of elite germplasm, establishment of embryo generation and transfer laboratories across districts, and large-scale production of full-blood, high-yielding animals. The project proposes setting up 20 ETT laboratories, including embryo generation facilities, with support from SKUAST Jammu and Kashmir. The initiative is expected to significantly increase mutton and wool productivity, reduce the shortage of elite breeding stock and strengthen pure line sheep populations in the Union Territory.
The meeting further reviewed the J&K Dairy Value Chain Infrastructure Expansion Programme, proposed as a top-up support under the PMFME scheme. The initiative aims to promote milk value addition by targeting establishment of 1,000 new milk value-addition units over five years, expansion of organised milk processing capacity, reduction in post-harvest losses and improvement in price realisation for dairy farmers.
The Chief Secretary emphasised the importance of timely implementation, institutional coordination and robust monitoring mechanisms to ensure that the proposed interventions translate into tangible income enhancement for farmers and sustainable growth of the livestock sector in Jammu and Kashmir. He directed the Agriculture Production Department to ensure convergence of schemes, fixing of a timeline for its implementation and effective capacity building at the grassroots level for the success of all these programmes.
