Principal Secretary, Animal & Sheep Husbandry, Navin Kumar Choudhary, inaugurated 2-day Vishal Pashudhan Vyapar Mela’ at Sports Stadium, Hiranagar.The two day mela being organised by the department of Animal and Sheep Husbandry is first of its kind where sale and purchase of multiple breeds of cows, buffaloes, sheep, goat and other animals is being provisioned.Highlighting recent initiatives of government towards achieving self sufficiency in milk production, Principal Secretary said with the easing out of schemes related to Dairy Production, Animal and Sheep Husbandry got tremendous response where over Rs 10 crore subsidies through arrays of schemes were disbursed among the farmers in last fiscal. Navin Choudhary said the object of launching hand holding schemes in Animal and Sheep Husbandry was to make Jammu and Kashmir UT self-sufficient in milk production which at present imports over 25% of the total milk consumption from Punjab and Haryana.He added that major events like 'Vishal Pashudhan Vyapar Mela’ is a serious attempt to give well organised platform to farmers to sell and purchase good quality breeds of cows, buffaloes, sheep, goat etc from Punjab, Himachal and other neighbouring states besides good variety from within Jammu and Kashmir. He said the ultimate aim was to provide new avenues to the farmers so that the objective of doubling farmer’s income can be achieved.Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Rahul Yadav, appealed farmers to avail the opportunity to get best breed of animals besides acquainting themselves about the latest schemes offered by the departments.Director Animal Husbandry Jammu, Director Horticulture Jammu, Director Agriculture Jammu, Director Sericulture, Director Fisheries, SSP Kathua and other district officers and scores of farmers were present.