Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam Friday chaired a meeting here to review the status of dairy sector and discuss the modalities for baseline survey by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and implementation of the Special Package for dairy development projects.Financial Commissioner, Finance Department, Joint Secretary, Cattle and Dairy Development, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board, Anand Gujrat, Managing Director, GCCMMF Ltd (Amul), Anand, Gujrat, Chairman, J&K Bank/President Lead Bank J&K, Director, Animal Husbandry Jammu/Kashmir/Ladakh, CGM/DGM NABARD, J&K, CEO JKMPCL, Director, Finance Animal/Sheep Husbandry Department, Director, Planning Animal / Sheep Husbandry Department, Nodal Officer, Dairy Development and other senior officers participated in the meeting.Principal Secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry department, Dr Asgar Samoon informed that as per the 20th Livestock Census conducted in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir has a livestock population of 82 Lakh. He said Milk Production as per ISS data 2018-19 is 2541 TMT. He said for improving milk production and productivity in Jammu and Kashmir, the Department is looking at various interventions including genetic upgradation of Cattle, Cattle Induction, Fodder Development, Milk Procurement and Processing and Health Cover and Risk Management.
Dr Samoon said that Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has agreed to distribute 15000 Dairy Units of two cows each as a special package for Jammu and Kashmir under the Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (DEDS) as a beneficiary oriented scheme financed by NABARD through commercial banks.With regard to conduct of baseline survey, Chief Secretary asked NDBB to complete the survey by December 1st, 2019 and evaluation of data and formulation of DPR by January, 2020.The Milk Production Expansion Plan proposal of the Jammu and Kashmir Milk producers Cooperative Limited (JKMPCL) for raising capacity of JKMPCL from 50,000 LPD of milk production to 2.5 Lakh LPD in the next three years was also discussed during the meeting. Chief Secretary asked Principal Secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department to work out a strategy for implementation of the Milk Production Expansion Plan across J&K.Chief Secretary asked Principal Secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department to initiate the process for setting up of J&K Mission for Dairy Development with a full time Mission Director and supporting staff. He observed that focus of the Government will be firstly to enhance milk production in areas that are receptive, offer huge potential for dairy development and then move ahead to saturate entire Jammu and Kashmir. “Our aim in the first instance is to reach the target of zero deficiency in domestic milk production”, he observed.