JAMMU, JANUARY 18 (KNO) : Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Abdul Gani Kohli today said that Government is undertaking targeted measures to boost livestock, fisheries and poultry sector to achieve surplus production and become exporter rather than importer state. The Minister, while replying to the discussion on Demand for Grants of Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Departments in the Legislative Assembly said that new initiatives are on anvil to boost all these important sectors. “The state has been allotted Rs 14.17 crore under National Livestock Mission (NLM), of which Rs 6.65 crore has been released for current financial year to enhance poultry production through medium and small poultry rearers. Likewise Rs 2.96 crore have been released under NLM for launching Innovative Poultry Productivity Project, under which 600 beneficiaries will be taken up in the current financial year”, the Minister informed. The new efforts include renovation of existing Government Sheep Breeding Farms and import of fresh Germplasm under NLM in 2018-19, he added. The Minister said that department has achieved great results on the ground by conducting 8.24 lakh artificial inseminations, 5.15 lakh vaccination (includes that of poultry birds), produced 12.21 lakh eggs and 5.31 lakh one day chicks in government farms. Further, the milk production of the State has increased from 2136 thousand MTs in 2014-15 to 2405 thousand MTs in 2016-17 thus registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.1%, he informed. “Artificial inseminations provided to cows and buffalos will help in genetic upgradation of breeds which will lead to increasing State milk production”, Kohli added. He said that department is also paying due attention to provide healthcare support through widespread veterinary services being consistently made available in the state. He said that currently the department provides veterinary services through 1750 Animal Husbandry centers, which are being supported by district level diagnostic labs and two upgraded divisional level diagnostic modernized labs at Jammu and Srinagar. Other measures include provision of medicines and vaccines, during 2016, 17515 lakh vaccinations to Cattle, Poultry, sheep & Goat population were provided by the department, he added. Efforts are also underway to frame a people friendly grazing policy besides schemes to make fodder available at reasonable prices, Kohli said. Under dairy sector, the department has provided funds to the tune of around Rs 11 crore through central assistance for upgrading the milk processing plants at Cheshmashahi, Srinagar and Satwari, Jammu. “For the first time milk processing capacity of the State run cooperatives has touched to 1 lakh liters per day", he said adding that state run Cooperative for dairy development is in process of establishing state of art ice-cream plant and Paneer Plant at 2 milk processing plants. The department is encouraging establishment of Bulk Milk Cooling Centres under cooperative structure, which will enable the dairy farmers to increase the shelf-life of milk thus enhancing the reach of marketable milk. For increasing local mutton production in the state, the Sheep Husbandry is making concerted efforts so that the quantum of imports is brought down are reduced, the Minister said. He informed that mutton breeds like Dorper, Rambollittee have been introduced in the state; the results of the move are encouraging. Further various farms for rearing new breed of goat for increase in the production have also established, he added. Regarding poultry sector, Kohli said that efforts have been undertaken for increasing quantum of poultry which has resulted thereby increased state poultry meat quantity to 675 lakh kg during 2016-17. The department envisages some new methods and would take steps to declare the Poultry Farming Activity as an Industry to streamline this sector and make it efficient, Kohli informed. Further, efforts are on to encourage investors for setting up of hatcheries with a target of having at least one modern hatchery in each district ,the Minister said. With regard to fisheries sector, the Minister said that revenue realization of this sector is around Rs 5.60 crore annually and it provides direct livelihood to around 15 thousand fishermen, which produce 20000 metric tons of fish within the State, adding that to give further boost to the sector, the department has created infrastructures in both government and private sector with launch of major initiatives under Blue Revolution, besides support through RKVY. The Minister informed that 1037 carp units and 501 trout raceways have been established in private sector and necessary assistance is being provided to them. The biggest hatchery for trout has been established at Kokernag which has a capacity to produce 1.2 million eggs every year, he said. He said under Blue Revolution, the department has been able to establish Masheer Brood bank at a cost of Rs 4.29 crore for which work is in progress, besides, 2 carp fish seed hatcheries have also been established in the state. Further, the department is in the process of establishing fish market at Narwal Jammu which is expected to be completed by March, 2018, besides, it has distributed 20 Auto Rikshaws with icebox and 1016 Bicycles with icebox to the fishermen to enhance the reach, the Minister informed. The House later passed the grants amounting to Rs 68680.48 lakhs to defray the charges which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 2019 for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and allied Departments. Earlier, several Members participated in discussion on demand for Grants including Altaf Ahmad Wani, Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi, Neelam Kumar Langeh, Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Bashir Ahmad Dar, Mubarak Gul, Raja Manzoor Ahmad, Choudhry Sukhnadan Kumar, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Noor Mohammad Sheikh, Daleep Singh Parihar, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Asgar Ali Karbalie, Abdul Rahim Rather, Usman Abdul Majid and Ravinder Raina.(KNO) HIGHLIGHTS · Targeted measures initiated to boost state livestock, poultry and fisheries production to create sufficient stock for state markets · Rs 14.17 crore allotted under National Livestock Mission (NLM), Rs 6.65 crore stands released for current fiscal to enhance poultry production · Rs 2.96 crore released under NLM for launching Innovative Poultry Productivity Project, 600 beneficiaries to be benefitted in current financial year · Renovation of existing Government Sheep Breeding Farms and import of fresh Germplasm under NLM in 2018-19 · Conducted 8.24 lakh artificial inseminations, 5.15 lakh vaccination (includes poultry birds as well), 12.21 lakh eggs produced in government farms · Milk production registered 4.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of in 2016-17 · Veterinary services being provided through 1750 Animal Husbandry centers across state · Efforts underway to frame people friendly Grazing Policy · For the first time, milk processing capacity of the State run cooperatives touched to 1 lakh liters per day · Process of establishing state of art ice-cream plant, Paneer Plant at Cheshmashahi, Srinagar and Satwari, Jammu milk plants underway · Deptt encouraging establishment of Bulk Milk Cooling Centres under cooperative structure · Mutton breeds like Dorper, Rambollittee introduced in the state · Steps on to announce Poultry Farming Activity as an Industry · Revenue realization of Fisheries sector to the tune of Rs 5.60 crore annually · Fisheries provide direct livelihood to 15 thousand fishermen in the state · Biggest hatchery for trout established at Kokernag with current capacity to produce 1.2 million eggs annually · Fish market at Narwal in Jammu to be completed by March, 2018