SRINAGAR: The Union Government has announced a major push to scale up Jammu and Kashmir’s dairy and fisheries sectors, committing Rs 300 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and exploring a further Rs 100 crore Integrated Aqua Park for cold-water aquaculture development in the region. The announcements were made during Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh’s two-day visit to the Union Territory, during which he met farmers, reviewed sectoral progress, and inaugurated key infrastructure.
Addressing a gathering of officials, scientists and farmers at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), the Union Minister said that schemes such as PMMSY, the Blue Revolution, and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) have significantly reshaped J&K’s fisheries ecosystem. He called for strengthening cooperatives at the district, block, and panchayat levels to empower small and marginal dairy farmers, especially women, who make up over 70 per cent of dairy sector participation nationally.
“Over 10 crore farmers in India depend on livestock, and 90 per cent of dairy animals are owned by small and marginal farmers,” Singh said. “In Jammu and Kashmir, milk production has grown from 19.50 lakh tonnes in 2014–15 to 28.74 lakh tonnes in 2023–24—a 47 percent increase. Per capita milk availability now stands at 413 grams per day.”
The Centre’s focus on value addition and export readiness was underscored by Singh’s emphasis on trout and niche dairy products from Kashmir. Highlighting recent successes, he said that trout production in J&K surged from just 262 metric tonnes in 2013–14 to 2,380 metric tonnes in 2023–24—an increase of over 800 per cent. Trout seed production jumped from 9 million to 15.2 million units, while carp seed production grew from 40 million to 63.5 million units over the same period.
To improve seed quality, the Government of India facilitated the import of 13.4 lakh genetically improved eyed ova of Rainbow and Brown Trout from Denmark, helping boost trout production more than threefold since 2020. Over Rs 120 crore of private investment in cold-water fisheries has been supported via FIDF.
In recognition of its ecological advantage, the Ministry has designated Anantnag as a Cold-Water Fisheries Cluster, with Kulgam and Shopian as partner districts. The cluster is expected to benefit from integrated value chain development aimed at creating sustainable livelihoods. Singh also said the Union Government is actively considering a Rs 100 crore Integrated Aqua Park under PMMSY Phase-II to serve as a model of holistic aquaculture development in the Himalayas.
At a high-level review meeting co-chaired with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the Civil Secretariat, Singh inaugurated a 50,000 litres-per-day Ultra High Temperature (UHT) milk processing plant at Satwari, Jammu. He reiterated the Centre’s “unwavering commitment” to rural empowerment and called on the J&K Government to jointly convert untapped potential into economic outcomes.
Later, at SKUAST-K, the Union Minister visited high-density apple orchards and research stalls, including one featuring India’s first gene-edited sheep—an innovation Singh described as placing the country at the forefront of genome-editing in livestock. He interacted with Poshu Sakhis, dairy and fisheries entrepreneurs, and faculty members of SKUAST-K, listening to their challenges and suggestions.
J&K’s Minister for Agriculture Production and Panchayati Raj, Javid Ahmad Dar, thanked the Centre for its support and called for enhanced focus on processing and value addition in livestock. Principal Secretary Shalendra Kumar gave an overview of the sector, while SKUAST-K Vice Chancellor Professor Nazir Ahmad Ganai briefed the gathering on the university’s research focus and farmer linkages.
The event, themed ‘Reimagining Livestock & Fisheries with Future Ready Farmers: Vision 2030’, saw participation from top officials, including Union Secretary for Fisheries Alka Upadhyay, Animal Husbandry Commissioner Abhijit Mitra, and Joint Secretary for Fisheries Sagar Mehra.
