WASHINGTON: To give thrust to local poultry production and reduce the dependence on imports, Animal Husbandry Minister Abdul Ghani Kohli has directed Chief Animal Husbandry officers of all districts in Jammu division to establish a Model Poultry Village in each constituency in consultation with the local MLA.
Kohli, according to an official statement, was chairing a meeting to review the functioning of Poultry Sector in Jammu Division here today. Director Animal Husbandry, Dr SL Bhagat, Joint Director Poultry Jammu, Dr Kewal Krishan Bhardwaj, OSD Ashok Sharma, all Deputy Directors working in Poultry organization, Poultry Development Officer, Chief Animal husbandry officers of all districts besides staff members attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the thrust was laid to develop high-tech infrastructure so that the import of poultry and poultry products are curtailed to a larger extent. He said that the step to establish model poultry village will generate employment opportunities and increase the local production in the sector.
The minister was informed in the meeting that Jammu division produces 21.7crore table eggs and around 400 lakh kg of poultry meat annually. Inspite of this, the state has to import poultry products worth Rs 735 crore of which product worth 263 crore are retained in Jammu division. The meeting deliberated upon the measures to curtail the import of poultry products to check the outflow of state exchequer.
To offset the imports within Jammu division, the Minister was informed that there is a need of establishing new layer farms and broiler farms. In addition to this, there is also requirement of establishing new hatcheries of layers and broiler birds. It was informed in the meeting that there is a scope for private investment worth Rs 3100 crore in the division for establishing these farms and hatcheries which will in long term curtail the imports.
The Minister exhorted upon the officers to explore possibilities of running hatcheries in districts on public private partnership (PPP) mode and asked the Director Animal Husbandry to constitute a committee and depute one nodal officer which will look into the modalities of this private public venture. He also asked the officers to organize awareness camps in their respective districts to aware the youth about the welfare schemes and programmes of the department.
Threadbare discussion was held to provide cheaper one day old chick to the farmers and encourage the young entrepreneurs to adopt the business. Kohli instructed all the officers to work with dedication and close coordination with their subordinates to achieve the set targets and to enhance the production of poultry in the state.
