Gowhar provides an interesting statistic regarding food preferences in Kashmir
(Mr. Gowhar Bhat, 26, was born in Srinagar and attended Sri Pratap College in Srinagar. He received his degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Kashmir University in March 2007. He is employed as a journalist by the Greater Kashmir Communications Group headquartered in Srinagar, Kashmir.)
Per Capita Meat Consumption is Highest in JK
Srinagar: The Kashmir Valley consumes a whopping 340.32 lakh kilograms of mutton annually, a large chunk of which is imported, minister for animal and sheep husbandry, Aga Syed Ruhullah Wednesday said.
Responding to a question raised by member legislative council, M Y Taing in the upper house here today, the minister said the annual figures of the quantity of mutton consumed in the Valley, including Ladakh, stood at 340.32 Lakh Kilograms.
Of these, he said, 210 lakh kilograms were imported from various Indian states while the remaining 130.32 lakh kilograms come from the local market. In reply to a query about the steps taken to increase production locally, chief minister, Omar Abdullah, who was also present in the house, seconded Ruhullah and said the government was taking several measures to discourage the imports and at the same time to increase production locally.
“Our state has the highest per capita meat consumption in the country and is therefore a potential meat market. But we haven’t stressed on the local production as a result of which we have to import it from other states like Rajasthan,” Omar said.
He said the government has intentionally levied taxes on the sheep and poultry being imported into the Valley. “We don’t want to make the mutton costly but we want to discourage the importing trend,” he said, adding that the taxes collected thereby would be made available to animal and sheep husbandry department to encourage local production.
While presenting the budget 2009-10 in the assembly on Monday, the minister for finance, Abdul Rahim Rather had proposed an increase on toll tax on poultry birds from Rs two per bird to Rs five per kilogram besides enhancing the toll tax on import of sheep and goat by Rs 10 per head.
Asked if the slaughter houses at Srinagar and Jammu were having scientific disposal system, Ruhullah responded negatively.
“But there be scientific disposal system and we are looking into it. Two abattoirs are coming up at Wanihama in Srinagar and in Jammu for which the funds have been provided by ministry of food processing… and they are almost complete,” he said