Centre to boost J&K dairy & fisheries sectors: Union Minister

Srinagar, July 02: Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, who is on a two-day visit to Kashmir, today assured that the central government will provide all possible support to Jammu and Kashmir for the development of the dairy and fisheries sectors.
The Minister was speaking at a function titled ‘Reimagining Livestock & Fisheries with Future Ready Farmers: Vision 2030’ held at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K).
Emphasizing the Centre’s steadfast commitment to agricultural advancement and the welfare of the farming community in the UT, Singh highlighted the need to organise dairy farmers—mostly small and marginal—by strengthening cooperatives at district, block, and panchayat levels.
“There is tremendous export potential for Kashmir trout and niche dairy products,” he said. “However, this requires focused efforts on processing and value addition. The Ministry will fully support the J&K government in establishing retail dairy outlets in every district.”
The function was attended by J&K Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar; Union Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Alka Upadhyaya; Principal Secretary APD (J&K), Shalendra Kumar; Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai; Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Prof. B.N. Tripathi; Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Varsha Joshi; Animal Husbandry Commissioner, DAHD, Abhijit Mitra; Joint Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, Sagar Mehra; among others.
During the event, Rajiv Ranjan Singh interacted with dairy and fisheries farmers, Poshu Sakhis, and entrepreneurs who shared insights on the progress and challenges faced by these sectors in J&K.
Earlier, upon arrival at SKUAST-K, the Minister toured the high-density apple orchards and inspected various stalls showcasing cutting-edge agricultural innovations, especially in animal sciences. A key highlight was his visit to the stall featuring India’s first gene-edited sheep, developed at SKUAST-K — an achievement that positions India at the forefront of advanced genome editing technologies in livestock.
J&K Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar thanked the Union Minister for his support in transforming the livestock and fisheries sectors, stressing the importance of processing and value addition to empower the farming community economically.
Principal Secretary APD (J&K) Shalendra Kumar presented an overview of the dairy and fisheries sectors in the UT, while Vice Chancellor Prof. Nazir A. Ganai delivered the welcome address and briefed guests about the university’s initiatives.
Officers and faculty members from SKUAST-K, directors and officials from related departments, and a large number of farmers were present at the event.