Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today chaired a high-level meeting of the Agriculture Production Department (APD) to review the measures being taken to enhance milk and mutton production across the Union Territory. He emphasized that both sectors hold immense potential for growth, value addition, and entrepreneurship if approached with the right policy interventions and sustained departmental support.

The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Shailendra Kumar; Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu; Managing Director, HADP; Managing Director, Dairy Development; Directors of Agriculture and Sheep Husbandry from both Jammu and Kashmir divisions; and other senior officers of the department.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary underscored the need to create replicable success stories in these sectors to inspire public participation and entrepreneurship.

 He observed that the region, being primarily a consumer state, offers a significant market for milk, mutton, and their processed products. Even in catering to local demand there exists vast potential in exploring commercial expansion and export of its value-added products.

He maintained that the UT must move beyond basic packaging and branding. The focus should be on scientific processing and value addition that can yield high-demand products and sustainable livelihoods. He urged local entrepreneurs to unlock the potential of the region’s dairy and livestock sectors for finding the gainful employment.

While speaking in this meeting the ACS, APD, Shailendra Kumar, gave a comprehensive overview of the present status and consumption patterns of milk and mutton in J&K. He noted that dairy products form part of the daily diet across the UT, while mutton consumption is among the highest in the country, creating steady market demand.

The department, he said, has assessed the existing gaps and devised a roadmap to enhance both production and value addition over the next few years.

As per the presentation given by the department, J&K produces 28.75 lakh metric tonnes of milk annually, with a per capita availability of 577 grams per day, which is higher than the national average of 471 grams. However, only about 4% of milk production is currently organized, accounting for just 4% of the local production. The department aims to bring at least 20% of production under the organized sector within the next 5–7 years, the meeting was apprised.

To achieve this target, the department plans to expand Artificial Insemination (AI) coverage, secure High Genetic Merit (HGM) bulls, establish facilities for sexed semen, and address fodder deficit issues through scientific feeding practices.

Moreover around 1,600 “PashuSakhis” (Maitris) have already been engaged to extend AI services at the grassroots level, while two semen stations are being established in the UT. The department is also in the process of procuring 40 HGM bulls from the USA and setting up milk processing and chilling units in every district.

In terms of mutton production, it was informed that J&K currently has 43.68 lakh sheep and 22.5 lakh goats, producing about 370 lakh kilograms of meat and 80 lakh kilograms of wool annually, against a local demand of around 545 lakh kilograms of meat here.

To bridge this gap, the department is pursuing advanced breeding interventions such as Embryo Transfer Technology (ETT) and Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Transfer (MOET) to accelerate genetic improvement.

Plans are also underway to establish Embryo Generation Labs with a target of producing 6,000 embryos annually, develop facilities for cryopreservation, and set up ETT laboratories in every district. Capacity-building programmes for veterinarians and para-veterinarians are also being rolled out to ensure effective implementation at the field level.

The Chief Secretary encouraged the Agriculture Production Department for its proactive initiatives and directed it to work in mission mode to transform both dairy and sheep husbandry sectors into engines of rural growth and employment generation.