Principal Secretary Animal, Sheep fisheries and transport Departments Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon today said that the state livestock breeding policy envisages achieving self-sufficiency in livestock products by the year 2030.He was speaking at a meeting to discuss Livestock breeding policy and poultry policy with stakeholders.Special Secretary Industries Department AS Chib, Director Animal Husbandry Jammu, Director Animal Husbandry Department Kashmir M Y Chaproo, Chairman Breeding policy committee Dr Tasleem Ganai, Director extension SKUAST Jammu Dr K S Risam, Director Sheep Husbandry Department Jammu Dr Sanjeev Kumar, Director Sheep Husbandry Department Kashmir, Director ICAR-NBAGR Karnal Dr Arjava Sharma, Dean faculty of Veterniary Science SKUAST-J, Dean faculty of Veterniary Science SKUAST K, Director Planning SKUAST K Dr Nazir Ahmed Ganai, CEO Livestock Development Board and other officials attended the meeting.Dr Samoon stressed on devising a time frame to cover 10 lac breedable cows under Artificial insemination for improving productivity of dairy cattle and overall milk production in the state.He reiterated that 10 lac dairy cows shall be tagged and registered INAPH which shall serve a basic tool for monitoring the implementation of Bovine breeding.For improving Livestock productivity, Dr Samoon said there is need to provide effective health cover and disease diagnosis especially for sexually transmitted diseases.He also called for documentation of comprehensive breeding plans for all species of livestock for successful implementation of Livestock Breeding policy.
Principal Secretary also stressed on revival of sheep feeding centers and said that a concrete action plan shall be made for rotation of breeding rams to avoid inbreeding.He took exception of reports regarding import of broiler chicken by chicken slaughter house units from outside state only for tax exemption and selling them in the market as live birds which is economically detrimental for poultry farmers of the state.Special Secretary Industries Department informed the meeting that the issue has already been taken up with Finance Department.Later Draft SOPs for Artificial Insemination in Bovines and Minimum Standard Protocol for Bovine Semen Production were also released which shall be notified soon for implementation of J & K Bovine Breeding Act 2018.Dr Samoon said that aim of formulating these policies was to improve productivity and income so as to improve socio-economic status of a vast majority of our livestock producers and to support research and development initiatives in livestock sector for improving production and productivity, bio-security and profitability.He added that demand for the mutton is increasing with time and to meet it about 15 lac small ruminants are imported into the state annually.“It is the sector which can become one of the major contributors of the state GDP, besides having potential to give employment to lakhs of youth. It is important to put some institutional mechanisms at government level so that from small time farmers to industrialists all are benefitted with investment in the sector,” Samoon said, “ in terms of probability and market, this sector offers high dividends provided livestock rearing is done on scientific level.”