Govt all set to extend insurance cover to poultry farms

Jammu: To encourage investment in the poultry sector by the entrepreneurs in the trade, the J&K government is all set to extend insurance cover to the poultry farms in the state.
The decision was taken here at a high-level meeting chaired by Principal Secretary Animal, Sheep and Fisheries department Dr Asghar Hassan Samoon.
The meeting was attended by Director Animal Husbandry Jammu Dr Victor Kaul, Director Animal Husbandry Srinagar Dr M Y Chaproo, Director Finance Joint Director Poultry Jammu and Joint Director Poultry Kashmir, Poultry Development officers. The meeting was also attended by animal husbandry department officers and poultry entrepreneurs from Kashmir via video conferencing. Representatives of insurance companies and poultry farm owners of Jammu and Kashmir led by Ghulam Muhammad Bhat and Baljeet Singh also attended the meeting.
The maiden initiative of insurance cover to the poultry sector initiated by the Principal Secretary was the long pending demand of the poultry entrepreneurs.
“I am hopeful that with insurance cover, poultry entrepreneurs will feel encouraged to expand their business and increase the production of their units,” Dr Samoon said.
While saying that outbreaks in the poultry farms are very rare, Dr Samoon said insurance cover is a win- win situation for insurance companies as well as entrepreneurs.
Saying that no major outbreak has been reported in the poultry sector due to regular vaccination dosage by Animal Husbandry department, Dr Samoon stressed on the insurance companies to charge minimum premium from the poultry unit holders which will act as protection against any eventuality.
He also asked them to cover maximum diseases in their quotations.
He asked the officers and representatives of insurance companies to fix all modalities of rolling out the scheme formally within a week.
Dr Samoon also said aim of the initiative is not only to achieve self-sufficiency in poultry production but make J&K a poultry exporting state.
He also directed the Poultry development officers to ensure health certificates to the poultry units are issued within three days of applying.
Poultry entrepreneurs thanked the Principal Secretary for the pro- industry initiatives and bringing vibrancy in the functioning of animal husbandry department.
Dr Samoon also directed for strict health check of chicks imported from other states at Lakhnapur.