MoU with NZ to improve sheep husbandry sector: Dulloo

Jammu, Dec 1: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo on Thursday inaugurated a one-day technical workshop-cum-seminar on the latest technical interventions in the sheep and goat husbandry sector in the Union Territory, at Kisan Bhawan here. Vice Chancellor, SKUAST Jammu, Prof JP Sharma was the guest of honour.
In his address, the ACS informed about the MoU with New Zealand under which the sheep husbandry sector is going to be developed with world-class technology and expertise. He stressed the need for breed improvement among other initiatives for increasing mutton production to meet the 40 percent deficit in the UT.
He called for improvements in germplasm production through artificial insemination and embryo transfer technologies. For strengthening the sector, the ACS suggested increasing healthcare outreach in alpine pastures and other remote regions of J&K. He acknowledged the significant role of the development of new vaccines.
Dulloo took note of fodder scarcity in the UT and called for providing farmers with wool aggregation facilities and helping with the formation of Farmer Producer Organisations. The ACS shared a plan of action under which improvement of germplasm, augmentation of animal health facilities, increasing fodder production and availability and post-production initiatives like meat processing, etc for increasing exports could be undertaken.
He shared that the Integrated Sheep Development Scheme has benefited many farmers and called for continued assistance under the scheme. Under the National Digital Livestock Mission, he said, production of mutton and wool would be encouraged.
Prof JP Sharma underlined the sector provides livelihood to poorer sections of society and therefore approached with due attention towards their needs. He highlighted the requirement of value addition and post-production processing to increase the income of people involved in the sector.