J&K to sign MoU with Venkateswara Hatchery

In view of the increasing demand for chickens and eggs because of big military and paramilitary forces being stationed in the state, the Jammu and Kashmir government will sign a deal with the Venkateswara Hatchery group of Andhra Pradesh.

The department of animal husbandry has planned to produce at least 60 million birds per month by introducing the contract-farming system. Besides this, Nabard will fund 100 poultry projects in the state and the funding will have a 90 per cent loan component.

The hatchery group is present in Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The modalities have been finalised by a team of the Jammu & Kashmir government, led by Minister for Animal Husbandry Taj Mohiudin.

Talking to Business Standard, Taj Mohiudin said, "The modalities have been finalised on the contract farming of poultry products in the state, in collaboration with the Venkateswara group." A team of the group, led by a general manager from Pune, had visited the state recently. "The company's chairperson is arriving to sign the MoU," the minister added.

"The company will be supplying birds and bird feed, besides sharing technology, while the state government will provide space, infrastructure and the support staff," he added.

Initially, the target is producing 60 million birds per month. At present, there is demand for nearly 100 million birds per month in the state. Local farms meet 25 per cent of the demand, while 75 per cent is being met by Haryana and Punjab.

After the bird flu outbreak in February, private farms suffered massive losses and many of them in Kathua, Jammu and Udhampur closure.

Taj said several poultry farm sites of the state government lying unutilised for many years would again see farming activity. Moreover, the state will earn nearly Rs 50 lakh per year.

He added nearly 1,500 trucks, carrying 38-40 lakh birds, were coming to Jammu & Kashmir from Punjab and Haryana every month. Referring to Nabard support to the ailing poultry trade in Jammu & Kashmir, Taj said a major poultry farm was coming up near the border town of Uri in south Kashmir, where demand was very high.

He said local people donated nearly 235 kanals (one kanal=3,400 square feet) for this project.