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Record milk production in Kashmir
Srinagar: Annual milk production in Kashmir Valley has touched a record mark of 8.78 lakhs of metric tonnes, an increase of 28,000 metric tonnes over the previous year, courtesy the formation of new milk co-operative societies and commissioning of modern processing units.
Milk production in Jammu and Kashmir valley increased tremendously in the past couple of years. It has shot up by 300 per cent over the last six years.
The production of milk has increased to 8.78 lakh metric tonnes annually in Kashmir. It was 8.50 lakh metric tonnes earlier. This year the per capita availability of milk in Kashmir is 356 grams per day where as the Indian Council of Medical Research has made it mandatory that 290 grams per day must be available to an individual, said Fayaz Ahmad Kaloo, the Deputy Director (Central) of Animal Husbandry department of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Department of Animal Husbandry is trying to expand the number of dairies through integrated dairy development programme to set up societies so that we can canalise overall milk produce, Kaloo added.
A new concept of milk societies that has come up in Jammu and Kashmir has played a very crucial role to increase the production of milk. These milk societies formed by local villagers have started mushrooming all over the State.
Milk from all these societies is collected and transported to the processing units. Later, at these processing units, the milk is pasteurised and packed before being despatched to the markets for sale.
With each passing year, the number of milk co-operative societies is on the rise, and this year, it stood at 190 against 150 in the previous year.
Last year, we had 150 societies. Milk is coming from all the districts in Kashmir. This year we have 190 societies. Last year, our procurement was 8,000 litres and this year it is more than 12,000 litres, almost over 4,000 litres increase in production, said Khurshid Ahmed, a dairy owner and milk supplier to a processing unit.
The network of new societies, collection points and processing units has opened new job prospects for the youth in the State. So much so, many youths have ventured to take up dairying as a lucrative profession. With the help of the Animal Husbandry Department of Jammu and Kashmir, these enterprising youngsters have been familiar with the latest developments in dairy farming and enhanced milk production.
Honey production shows surge in Valley
Srinagar: Having setup a target of 1900 as the population of beekeepers for 2008-09 and 2200 for 2009-10 and with an existing 20000 number of the bee colonies in the valley, the Apiculture Development is expected to show an upswing in its graph.
The honey production in the valley, as per records, is also rising with 125 tonnes production registered in 2005-06, 215 tonnes in 2006-07, 200 tonnes in 2007-08 and the targeted production for the year 2008-09 is 300 tonnes and for 2009-10 is 350 tonnes.
The export of honey was 100 MTs in 2005-06, 100 in 2006-07, 150 in 2007-08 and the target export for 2008-09 is setup at 200 MTs and for 2009-10 is 250 MTs.
Despite certain limitations, Apiculture if pursued in systematic manner and duly regulated by the people associated with it, could improve the economy of a number of people.