Principal Secretary, Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon today inaugurated one-day Workshop-cum-Interaction meeting on “Livestock Production and Productivity: Status, Challenges and Prospects” organized by Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology (SKUAST) Kashmir.Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-Kashmir Prof. Nazeer Ahmad and SKUAST-Jammu Prof. P. K. Sharma were also present on the occasionThe workshop was attended by the Deans, Directors, Heads of various Divisions and Scientists of SKUAST-K and SKUAST-J, Officers of Animal, Sheep and Fisheries Departments, Representatives of banks, municipalities and progressive farmers.Dr. S.M.K Naqvi, Ex-Director, ICAR-CSWRI, Avikanagar attended the meeting as an expert member and provided the necessary inputs with regard to livestock production.On the occasion, Dr. Samoon said that with the strenuous efforts of the department and timely advices of the SKUAST-K, the livestock is emerging as an important sector in the economy of Jammu and Kashmir which plays an important role in the socio-economic development of the State.
He said that about 80 percent population of the State lives in the rural areas and most of them are directly or indirectly involved in livestock farming. He said this sector is emerging as important growth leverage to state economy and its share to Gross State Domestic Products (GSDP) is also increasing.Principal Secretary said that for a growing human population, the development of livestock sector is indispensable to address the requirements of fat and protein. “From livelihood perspective, the livestock is considered as an important instrument in poverty alleviation” Samoon said and added that livestock provides the major extra contribution to agriculture through manure, fuel and as a fertilizer apart from meat, milk, eggs that grant a regular supplementary income and employment not only to producers in the rural areas but also huge size of the population engaged in secondary and tertiary business related to it.During the workshop threadbare discussions were held for chalking out a road map for development of livestock sector in J&K and identifying gaps in research and extension machinery. Further discussions were held upon to provide a road map for institutional support for development of livestock, poultry and fisheries sectors in J&K.Speaking on the occasion VC SKUAST said facility of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry will provide every possible help to the department and farmers for development of livestock in the State.